Surgeon explains why he had his own legs amputated as he's sentenced to 32 months in jail
Neil Hopper has given his reasoning to the courts, with the former vascular surgeon explaining why he purposefully had his own legs amputated. Known for performing amputations on his own patients, the court heard how Hopper had a "sexual interest in amputation," with him also accessing pornographic materials from a website known as Eunuch Maker. The extreme body modification site was linked to Marius Gustavson, a man who live-streamed castrations and now faces 22 years behind bars.
While the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust has assured Hopper's patients that his acts didn't involve them during the decade he worked there, a legal firm representing 'fearful' amputees has called for a public inquiry into his time with the Trust.
Hopper was charged in July 2025 with two counts of fraud by false representation and an additional charge for encouraging or assisting in the commission of grievous bodily harm. This has since been escalated to include three charges of possessing extreme pornographic videos, as Judge James Adkin ruled that the body mutilation in the videos was "exceptionally high." Gustavon's site was known to host videos of castrations and penis removal of men as young as 16.
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As reported by ITV from Truro Crown Court, Hopper attempted to explain why he had his own legs amputated.
Ahead of his amputation, Hopper placed his feet in dry ice for up to eight hours, taking them to a point where they were deemed 'unviable'. Admitted to Royal Cornwall Hospital with suspected sepsis, Hopper was then transferred to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth and spent several weeks in a hyperbaric chamber before his legs were amputated below the knee.
Hopper was represented by Andrew Langdon KC, who argued that the surgeon had grown up in a rural Welsh village and felt that he was "in the wrong body” from a young age.
Langdon added that Hopper "was troubled by his gender" and "he wanted to be female."
Adkin heard how Hopper identified with the body integrity identity disorder that affects those who have an intense desire to amputate healthy limbs.
Hopper reportedly said that thoughts about having his feet amputated were "persistent, never ending."
While his family was away visiting relatives, Hopper submerged his feet in the dry ice back in April 2019. Since then, he became an advocate for the amputee community, even winning the Against All Odds title at the Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons 2020 due to his 'brave' story.
Langdon reiterated, "He knows in the days and weeks that followed, he let himself down in the most shameful way," adding that Hopper's wife is now seeking a divorce, he's had to accept his medical career is over, and he'll likely lose his house.
Quoting Hopper, Langdon concluded: "My thoughts and behaviour have not have any effect on my job. I worked very hard and always tried my best for my patients.”
Discussing the case, Richard Parkhouse of the Crown Prosecution Service referred to it as "highly unusual and shocking," with prosecutors now making an application under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2022.