Neil Hopper, a 49-year-old vascular surgeon, has been sentenced to 32 months in prison after pleading guilty to fraud and possessing extreme pornographic images. The court heard that Hopper used dry ice to freeze his legs in April 2019, causing them to require amputation, to satisfy a sexual obsession. He then falsely claimed nearly £500,000 from insurers by stating the amputation was due to sepsis.
Hopper admitted two counts of fraud by false representation, relating to claims made to Aviva and Old Mutual Health, and three counts of possessing extreme pornographic images from the website EunuchMaker. The investigation into Hopper began after the site's operator, Marius Gustavson, was jailed for life last year for leading an extreme body modification ring.
Hopper worked for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust from 2013 until his suspension in March 2023 following his arrest. He was suspended from the medical register in December 2023. The trust has stated that the charges do not relate to his professional conduct and that there is no evidence of risk to patients. However, former patients have sought legal advice over concerns about their treatment.
Following the amputation, Hopper received insurance payouts totalling £466,653.81, which he spent on a campervan, hot tub, wood burner, and building works. The judge also imposed a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and ordered a proceeds of crime investigation. Hopper will lose his home as a result.
Hopper had spoken publicly about his amputation in interviews with the BBC and S4C, and was even shortlisted for the European Space Agency's search for an astronaut with a disability. The court heard he enjoyed the attention the publicity generated.
