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Neil Hopper case: In a shocking case that has rattled the UK’s medical fraternity, a vascular surgeon deliberately amputated his own legs to satisfy a long-held sexual obsession and then claimed nearly 500,000 pounds (about Rs 5 crore) from insurance companies. Neil Hopper, 49, who worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud by false representation and three charges of possessing extreme pornographic images.

Prosecutors told the Truro Crown Court that Hopper used dry ice in April 2019 to freeze his legs until amputation became medically necessary. He then claimed from insurers Aviva and Old Mutual Health, stating that the amputations were the result of sepsis. “He subsequently made fraudulent insurance claims … by representing that the injuries were organic, caused by sepsis, when in fact they were self-inflicted,” Judge James Adkin said while handing down a 32-month prison sentence, as reported by The Guardian. The fraudulent payouts, amounting to 466,653.81 pounds, were spent on luxuries including a campervan, a hot tub, a wood burner, and building works. Prosecutors also revealed that Hopper had told a friend he should “milk it,” referring to the insurance claims.

Disturbing Sexual Obsession

The court heard that Hopper’s motivations were linked to a sexual fetish. “His motivations were a combination of obsession with removing parts of his own body and a sexual interest in doing so,” prosecutor Nicholas Lee told the court, as quoted by the BBC. Hopper also admitted to purchasing extreme pornographic material from a website called EunuchMaker, which depicted men undergoing castration and other body modifications. Investigators found that he had exchanged more than 1,500 messages with Marius Gustavson, the ringleader of the site. Gustavson was jailed for life last year with a minimum term of 22 years.

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While the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust confirmed that Hopper’s criminal actions were not related to his professional medical conduct, some of his former patients have approached medical negligence lawyers with concerns. “There has been no evidence to suggest any risk to patients,” the Trust said in a statement, stressing that the charges were limited to his personal life. Hopper, who had performed hundreds of amputation operations, returned to work with prosthetic legs less than six months after his own surgeries. He was suspended from duty in March 2023 and struck off the medical register later that year. Hopper’s wife has since filed for divorce.

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Judge Adkin also issued a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order against Hopper. A proceeds of crime investigation has been launched to recover some of the fraudulently obtained funds, with reports indicating that Hopper could lose his home. The case, which emerged from investigations into the extreme body modification network, has triggered wider discussions on mental health, body dysmorphia, and professional accountability in the UK’s healthcare sector.