A consultant surgeon who appeared on This Morning claiming to have lost his legs to sepsis has been charged with fraud after allegedly causing his own injuries and purchasing extreme body modification videos from the notorious “Eunuch Maker” website.
Neil Hopper, 49, who was hailed as “Britain’s bravest surgeon” and shortlisted to become the world’s first disabled astronaut, now faces accusations that he lied to insurers about the cause of his 2019 double leg amputation. The vascular surgeon from Truro allegedly claimed the injuries resulted from sepsis following a family camping trip, when prosecutors say they were self-inflicted.
Devon and Cornwall Police have charged Hopper with two counts of fraud by false representation and one count of encouraging or assisting grievous bodily harm. He appeared at Bodmin Magistrates’ Court today after being remanded in custody.
Links to Extreme Body Modification Site
Court documents reveal that between August 2018 and December 2020, Hopper allegedly purchased videos from “The Eunuch Maker” website showing the removal of limbs. Prosecutors claim he encouraged the site’s ringleader, Marius Gustavson, to remove body parts from third parties.
Gustavson, a 46-year-old Norwegian who had his own penis removed, nipple tip cut off and leg frozen requiring amputation, was jailed for life earlier this year. His website attracted over 22,000 registered users and generated an estimated £300,000 between 2017 and 2021, offering live streams of dangerous and medically unsupervised surgeries.
The fraud charges specifically allege that between 3 and 26 June 2019, Hopper “dishonestly made a false representation to insurers, namely the injuries to his legs were the result of sepsis and were not self-inflicted, intending to make a gain.”
Television Appearances and Awards
Speaking on ITV’s This Morning in 2020, Hopper had told viewers he developed sepsis after falling ill during a 2019 camping trip with his family. He claimed his daughter recovered from what he thought was food poisoning, but his own condition deteriorated rapidly.
“I opted not to have hundreds and hundreds of operations but just to have one to sort it out,” he told the programme, describing how he found the thought of power tools being used during the amputation “icky.”
The surgeon, who had performed hundreds of amputations on others throughout his career, was subsequently awarded the “Against All Odds” title at the 2020 Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons. He was widely praised for his courage in returning to work despite his disability.
Space Programme Shortlist
In a remarkable turn of events following his amputations, Hopper was shortlisted by the European Space Agency in their search for the world’s first para-astronaut – an astronaut with a disability. He featured in a Welsh-language documentary, “Drych: Camau Tua’r Sêr,” which followed his progress towards potentially heading to space.
“When I saw the advertisement from the European Space Agency for a para astronaut, I had to put in an application,” Hopper had said. “The criteria were quite specific; you had to have a doctorate in engineering or medicine, you had to have a disability below the knee, and you had to speak a second language – hey, Welsh!”
Though he was eventually eliminated from the selection process, his story inspired many as an example of overcoming adversity.
Professional Suspension
Hopper worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust from 2013 until March 2023, when he was suspended following his initial arrest. The General Medical Council placed restrictions on his practice in April 2023, and he has been suspended from the medical register since December 2023.
A spokesperson for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust emphasised: “The charges do not relate to Mr Hopper’s professional conduct and there has been no evidence to suggest any risk to patients.”
The trust confirmed it has worked closely with Devon and Cornwall Police throughout the investigation and directed any former patients with concerns to contact their Patient Experience team.
The Eunuch Maker Connection
The connection to Marius Gustavson’s “Eunuch Maker” website adds a disturbing dimension to the case. Gustavson’s operation involved extreme body modifications performed without medical supervision, often livestreamed to paying subscribers.
The website was part of a subculture of genital “nullification,” where individuals voluntarily have their genitals removed. Gustavson claimed in a 2022 interview to have performed the procedure on 58 men, keeping removed body parts in his freezer or stored in alcohol.
During his trial, the court heard that participants were vulnerable individuals susceptible to manipulation. The case raised profound questions about consent, mental health, and the limits of bodily autonomy.
Academic and Medical Career
Prior to the charges, Hopper held positions as Consultant Vascular Surgeon at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust and Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Exeter. He was regarded as a skilled surgeon who had helped develop amputation services across Devon and Cornwall.
Following his own amputations, he had spoken publicly about how the experience made him “a better doctor” by helping him understand what his patients go through. “Throughout my career I’d always tried to imagine what it was like to have an amputation, so I didn’t expect to get the answer,” he had said.
What Happens Next
Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the investigation began in February 2023 and involved close cooperation with the hospital trust. If convicted of fraud, Hopper could face significant prison time and would likely be permanently struck off the medical register.
The case has sent shockwaves through the medical community and raised questions about the vetting procedures for those appearing in media campaigns and applying for high-profile positions such as the astronaut programme.
Hopper’s transformation from celebrated surgeon and inspirational figure to fraud defendant represents a spectacular fall from grace. The man once shortlisted to reach the stars now faces the prospect of years behind bars if found guilty of deceiving insurers and encouraging extreme body modification.
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