A vascular surgeon accused of buying videos from the “Eunuch Maker” extreme body modification website has been charged with fraud over removing his own legs.
Neil Hopper, 49, who has carried out hundreds of amputation operations on others during his career, has appeared on ITV‘s This Morning to talk about his injuries.
Hopper, from Truro in Cornwall, has been charged with two counts of fraud between 3 June and 26 June 2019.
He is alleged to have dishonestly made a false representation to insurers claiming that his leg injuries were the “result of sepsis and were not self-inflicted”.
Hopper also faces a charge of encouraging or assisting in the commission of an indictable-only offence, namely grievous bodily harm.
He is said to have bought videos from the Eunuch Maker website showing the removal of limbs, which “encouraged Marius Gustavson to remove body parts of third parties”.
Hopper is due to appear Cornwall Magistrates’ Court in Bodmin on Wednesday.
He has not worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust since March 2023.
A hospital trust spokesman said: “The charges do not relate to Mr Hopper’s professional conduct and there has been no evidence to suggest any risk to patients.
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“Mr Hopper worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals from 2013 until he was suspended from duty in March 2023, following his initial arrest.
“Former patients with any questions or concerns about their treatment can contact the Royal Cornwall Hospitals’ patient experience team.”
The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service’s interim orders tribunal placed restrictions on his practice in April 2023, while the General Medical Council investigated, and he has been suspended from the medical register since December 2023.
A Devon and Cornwall Police spokeswoman said: “The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, where Mr Hopper has been employed, has worked closely with Devon and Cornwall Police throughout the investigation.”
