NHS surgeon who had his legs removed to satisfy sexual interest is jailed for fraud

"A surgeon who froze his legs so they would require amputation to satisfy a sexual obsession before making nearly 500,000 in insurance claims has been jailed. Neil Hopper, a 49-year-old vascular surgeon, was given 32 months after he pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud by false representation. This related to claims made to insurance companies that his legs had been amputated because of sepsis rather than self-inflicted injury. He also admitted three charges of possessing extreme pornographic images relating to videos from a website called the EunuchMaker."

"Despite reassurances from NHS officials, former patients of Hopper are now seeking legal advice over the treatment they received from him for fear it was not needed. At Truro crown court on Thursday, Judge James Adkin heard that Hopper was identified after investigations into Marius Gustavson, who ran the website. Gustavson was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years at the Old Bailey last year for leading an extreme body modification ring. It carried out male castration, penis removal and other procedures on people as young as 16."

"Hopper worked for the Royal Cornwall hospitals NHS trust from 2013 until he was suspended from duty in March 2023 after his initial arrest. He was suspended from the medical register that December and the court heard his wife is seeking a divorce. The trust has said the criminal charges against him did not relate to his professional conduct, adding: There has been no evidence to suggest any risk to patients. However, former patients including some who underwent amputations have contacted the medical negligence firm Enable Law with concerns about their treatment."

Vascular surgeon Neil Hopper deliberately froze his legs in April 2019 to cause injuries that required amputation and to satisfy a sexual fixation. He pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation after claiming the amputations were caused by sepsis, making nearly 500,000 in insurance claims. He also admitted possessing extreme pornographic videos linked to the EunuchMaker website. Investigations into the EunuchMaker operator, Marius Gustavson, who received a life sentence, led to Hopper’s identification. Hopper worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust until suspension in March 2023 and removal from the medical register that December. Former patients have sought legal advice, while the trust stated there was no evidence of risk to patients.

Read at www.theguardian.com