A 49-Year-Old British Surgeon Sentenced After Deliberately Amputating His Legs for Sexual Fetish and Fraudulently Claiming Nearly Half a Million Pounds in Insurance
The story of Neil Hopper, a once-respected vascular surgeon in the United Kingdom, has stunned both the medical community and the public. Hopper, now 49, has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to prison after it was revealed he deliberately caused the amputation of his own legs in pursuit of a sexual fetish, then lied to insurers to claim almost half a million pounds. It is the kind of case that feels almost impossible to believe, not just because of the graphic details, but because of who was involved: a highly trained doctor trusted with saving lives.
In April 2019, Hopper carried out a disturbing plan inside his home. He placed his legs in ice and dry ice for hours, effectively freezing them until the tissue became irreparably damaged. By the time he was admitted to the hospital, both legs required below-knee amputation. Rather than tell the truth about what he had done, Hopper claimed he had developed severe sepsis that left doctors with no choice but to remove his limbs. That lie would become the foundation of his fraud, as he later filed insurance claims that brought him nearly £467,000 from companies including Aviva and Old Mutual Wealth. He told insurers the amputations were a tragic medical emergency, never disclosing that they were the result of his own deliberate actions.
The case took a darker turn when investigators uncovered that Hopper had long harbored a sexual obsession with amputation and body modification. He had purchased extreme videos from a website called “The EunuchMaker,” which was run by Marius Gustavson, the convicted leader of a castration and mutilation ring. He also exchanged messages online about self-amputation and body removal fantasies. This evidence painted a disturbing picture of how deep his fixation ran, and how it eventually crossed into real life in the most extreme way possible.
For several years after losing his legs, Hopper presented himself publicly as a victim of medical misfortune. He even appeared in interviews, calling himself the “bionic surgeon,” and was shortlisted by the European Space Agency as a potential astronaut candidate with a disability. He lived in a newly adapted home, drove a specially fitted car, and bought luxury items including a hot tub and a campervan—all funded by the money from his fraudulent claims. To many who saw him, he was an inspirational figure overcoming tragedy. Behind the image, though, was a carefully crafted lie.
When the truth was revealed in court, the scale of deception shocked observers. Prosecutors described how Hopper had manipulated both his medical knowledge and public sympathy for financial gain. The judge sentenced him to 32 months in prison, alongside a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. Steps have also been taken to recover the money from his insurance payouts. His medical career is over, as he was suspended in 2023 and struck off the medical register by the end of that year.
The hospital trust where he worked, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, released a statement making clear that his private life did not affect patient care. Reviews found no evidence of risk to patients, but the betrayal of trust remains difficult to reconcile. It is a reminder that even people in positions of authority and respect can live with secret struggles and dangerous compulsions.
The Hopper case has left many unsettled, not only because of the bizarre and disturbing actions he carried out, but also because of the ease with which he fooled people for years. A surgeon, once admired for his skills, is now remembered for one of the most shocking cases of self-destruction and fraud in recent memory.
