A surgeon from Cornwall who carried out hundreds of amputations has appeared in court accused of lying over how he lost his own legs and encouraging another man to remove the body parts of others. Neil Hopper, 49, a vascular surgeon from Truro, faced two counts of fraud by false representation and one count of encouraging or assisting grievous bodily harm.
Devon and Cornwall police said Hopper allegedly dishonestly claimed to insurers in 2019 that his leg injuries were the result of sepsis and were not self-inflicted, intending to gain £235,622 from one insurer and £231,031 from another. He is also accused of buying videos from a website called The Eunuch Maker and encouraging Marius Gustavson to remove body parts of third parties between August 2018 and December 2020.
During a 40-minute hearing at Cornwall Magistrates’ Court in Bodmin, Hopper did not enter pleas. A bail application was made, but he was remanded to appear at Truro Crown Court on 26 August. He formerly worked for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust and had previously said he lost his legs to sepsis in 2019.
A spokesperson for the trust said the charges do not relate to Mr Hopper’s professional conduct and there has been no evidence to suggest any risk to patients. Mr Hopper worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals from 2013 until he was suspended in March 2023 following his initial arrest. Former patients with concerns can contact the trust’s patient experience team.
