Former NHS surgeon Neil Hopper has been jailed for faking leg amputations to claim over £466,000 from insurers, while also admitting to owning extreme fetish videos.
Neil Hopper, 49, from St Erme, Truro, Cornwall, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation and three counts of possessing extreme pornographic content involving genital mutilation.
Truro Crown Court heard that in 2019, Hopper used dry ice to deliberately freeze his feet, eventually requiring amputation below the knees. He falsely claimed to insurance providers Aviva and Old Mutual Wealth that the injuries were caused by sepsis, not self-harm.
In total, Hopper fraudulently claimed £466,653.81, later spending the money on luxury items, including a £15,000 hot tub, a £22,000 campervan, extensive home renovations, and £13,000 in prosthetics. He also received £44,000 in disability benefits.
Judge James Adkin sentenced him to 22 months for fraud and 10 months for possession of extreme pornography, to be served consecutively.
The court heard that Hopper had a sexual fetish linked to amputation and had long desired to become a double amputee. He was also a customer of the now-defunct EunuchMaker website, run by Marius Gustavson, who led an extreme body modification ring and was jailed for life in 2023.
