By Eniola Amadu
A vascular surgeon who deliberately froze his legs with dry ice so they would require amputation, before fraudulently claiming nearly £500,000 in insurance payouts, has been jailed.
Neil Hopper, 49, received a 32-month sentence at Truro Crown Court after admitting two counts of fraud by false representation and three counts of possessing extreme pornographic images.
Prosecutors said Hopper falsely claimed his amputations were caused by sepsis, concealing that they were self-inflicted to satisfy a long-standing sexual obsession.
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The court heard that in April 2019, Hopper used dry ice to freeze both legs until they became non-viable and had to be amputated.
He later submitted fraudulent claims to Aviva and Old Mutual Health, securing £466,653.81, which he spent on luxury items including a campervan, hot tub and home improvements.
Judge James Adkin also imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered a proceeds of crime investigation to recover some of the stolen funds. The court heard Hopper is likely to lose his home as a result.
Hopper was first identified during a wider investigation into Marius Gustavson, who ran an “extreme body modification” website called EunuchMaker.
Gustavson was jailed for life at the Old Bailey last year for leading a network that carried out illegal castrations, penis removals and other procedures, some on victims as young as 16.
Hopper, who had worked as a vascular surgeon at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust since 2013, was suspended in March 2023 following his arrest and struck off the medical register in December. His wife has since filed for divorce.
Despite NHS assurances that Hopper’s crimes were unrelated to his professional duties, former patients — including some who underwent amputations under his care — have contacted medical negligence lawyers to review their treatments.
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In earlier interviews with the BBC and S4C, Hopper openly discussed his amputations and was even shortlisted for the European Space Agency’s search for an astronaut with disabilities. The court was told he “enjoyed the attention” from the publicity.
The NHS trust has reiterated that no evidence suggests patients were ever at risk, though Hopper’s case has intensified scrutiny over medical ethics and public trust in healthcare professionals.
