Emily Brown
A former surgeon who is believed to have had his legs amputated on purpose sent a chilling message afterwards to a supplier of extreme pornography featuring body modifications.
Neil Hopper had been working as a vascular surgeon for the UK's National Health Service (NHS) before he underwent the operation to remove his lower legs, then claimed £466,653 ($628,980) from his insurers.
Hopper, 49, told insurers his legs had become injured as a result of sepsis, but in reality he was found to have used dry ice to freeze his legs to the point that they needed to be amputated.
The former surgeon pleaded guilty on September 4 to two counts of fraud by false representation for the claims he'd made to insurers, and while in court prosecutor Nicholas Lee detailed how Hopper had previously paid for pornography showing body modifications.
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Lee said Hopper had paid for three videos from a website titled Eunuch Maker, which was run by a man named Marius Gustavson and showed men willingly having their genitals removed.
Hopper was found to have exchanged hundreds of messages with Gustavson about his own lower leg amputations, with Lee explaining the reason for his actions as he said: "It is evident from the messages that Mr Hopper wished to become an amputee and it was always something he had dreamt of.
"Something he has been obsessed with and had a sexual interest in becoming an amputee."
Hopper ultimately had his feet amputated in May 2019, followed by another operation to remove his lower legs a week later.
Following the operation, he sent another message to Gustavson, along with a picture of his bandaged legs.
He wrote: “It feels so cool. No feet!”
Andrew Langdon KC, who represented Hopper, said the former surgeon insists that his behavior did not have an impact on his job.
Hopper has since been suspended from the medical register, however the NHS trust has said an investigation into his work found no evidence of 'any risk or harm' to patients.
After Hopper pleaded guilty, he was sentenced to 32 month in jail and will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.
The judge who handed Hopper his sentence said: "You were in hospital for six weeks and after many tests and a variety of treatments the medics decided your feet could not be saved and they amputated on 17 May.
"You subsequently made fraudulent insurance claims to Aviva and Old Mutual Wealth receiving a total of £466,000 fraudulently by representing that the injuries were organic, caused by sepsis, when you caused the injury seemingly at least in part for sexual gratification."
Meanwhile, Gustavson was jailed for life last year with a minimum term of 22 years after being convicted of leading an extreme body modification ring.