A former British surgeon who amputated his own legs as part of a sexual fetish has been permanently struck off the medical register following his conviction in a major insurance fraud case.
Dr Neil Hopper, a former vascular surgeon at a hospital in Cornwall, England, was removed from the medical register after being found guilty of fraud-related offences and possession of illegal extreme pornographic material.
The case shocked many in the medical profession because Hopper was himself a surgeon who regularly treated patients requiring vascular procedures and amputations.
Court proceedings heard that Hopper deliberately caused severe injuries to his legs in 2019, which ultimately resulted in both limbs being amputated below the knee.
Prosecutors said the injuries were self-inflicted and linked to an amputation fetish. Investigators later discovered that Hopper had accessed an illegal website dedicated to extreme body-modification content and had exchanged thousands of messages with individuals connected to the platform.
Authorities alleged that Hopper falsely claimed the amputations were caused by sepsis, a serious medical condition, rather than revealing how the injuries occurred.
Using that explanation, he successfully obtained insurance payouts worth more than £466,000, equivalent to roughly $630,000 (about KSh81 million).
The fraud only came to light after investigators examining the illegal website uncovered communications that contradicted Hopper’s account of events.
According to prosecutors, digital evidence showed extensive contact between Hopper and individuals linked to the website, including discussions about his injuries before the amputations took place.
Investigators also discovered records showing purchases of dry ice shortly before emergency responders found him suffering from severe injuries to his lower legs.
The court heard that two insurance companies paid out substantial sums based on the belief that Hopper had lost his legs due to illness rather than deliberate actions.
Following his conviction, medical regulators launched disciplinary proceedings that have now ended his medical career.
The tribunal concluded that Hopper’s actions represented a serious breach of trust and ruled that removing him from the profession was necessary to maintain public confidence in doctors and the healthcare system.
The panel also found that his conduct raised significant concerns about professional judgment and integrity.
Hopper is currently serving a prison sentence following his convictions.
The case remains one of the most unusual fraud investigations involving a medical professional in recent years, combining elements of insurance deception, criminal offences and a scandal that stunned both the medical community and the public.
For many observers, including Uradi News, the most disturbing aspect is that the man at the centre of the case was not only a doctor, but a specialist surgeon trusted with treating patients facing some of the same life-changing procedures he later became involved in himself.
