Vascular surgeon Neil Hopper had become something of a hero for many, but after performing hundreds of amputations on patients, a cruel twist of fate saw him lose both his legs below the knee...or so we were led to believe.
In a shocking turn of events, Hopper is accused of having his own legs removed for financial gain and has now been charged with two counts of fraud. After winning the Against All Odds title at the Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons 2020, Hopper was thrust into the limelight and became a voice for amputees as he told his supposedly heartwarming story of life after amputation.
Hopper claimed that he'd lost both his legs after getting sepsis on a camping trip with his family, but the courts hit him with two counts of fraud, stating: "Namely the injuries to his legs were the result of sepsis and were not self-inflicted, intending to make a gain.”
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It's said that between June 3 and 26, 2019, Hopper made false claims to insurers amounting to £446,000 ($631,000). He also reportedly bought videos from a website known as TheEunuchMaker, then 'encouraging' website owner Marius Gustavson "to remove body parts of third parties."
As well as appearing on television as a guest on UK chat show This Morning, the BBC posted a lengthy interview with Hopper in March 2023.
With the piece saying his double amputation gave Hopper a new perspective on life, there's a particular quote from him that takes on new meaning. Describing what life is like since his surgery, Hopper explained: "My life is more interesting because of what's happened to me."
It's now seemingly unclear which parts of the story are true, but Hopper claims he was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with sepsis before undergoing weeks of oxygen therapy and having his toes removed after they turned 'blue'.
His story maintains that he spoke with plastic surgeons and a prosthetic nurse, deciding that it wasn't worth the 'hundreds' of operations he needed. Supposedly opting for the double amputation, Hopper said in 2023: "I don't regret that... I think I would have ended up in the same situation [with amputations] but it would have taken years."
He also went into graphic detail about having his legs amputated, concluding: "I couldn't help but imagine the mechanics of it. I do quite a lot of amputations and the one thing that kept going around in my mind was power tools because you use power tools.
"The thought of power tools being used on me was icky. It was really weird."
Bigging up his own achievements, Hopper said he was told it would take three months to walk again, although he claims he did it in three hours.
Following the 2025 judgment, a spokesperson for Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust reiterated: "The charges do not relate to Mr Hopper’s professional conduct and there has been no evidence to suggest any risk to patients.
“Mr Hopper worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals from 2013 until he was suspended from duty in March 2023, following his initial arrest.
“Former patients with any questions or concerns about their treatment can contact the Royal Cornwall Hospitals’ patient experience team.”
When Hopper appeared in court, he didn't enter a plea on any of the charges, now facing sentencing for two counts of fraud by false representation, with an additional charge for encouraging or assisting in the commission of grievous bodily harm.