'Britain's bravest surgeon' who lost legs to sepsis accused of fraud after 'causing injuries to cash in on insurance'
An award-winning cardiovascular surgeon who claimed to have lost both legs to sepsis has been accused of 'causing his own injuries'.
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Neil Hopper, 49, dubbed the 'bionic surgeon' following his double amputation, has been accused of two counts of fraud by his insurers, claiming he caused the injuries himself.
The consultant from Truro, Cornwall, is also accused of encouraging someone else to remove the body parts of others.
The doctor had previously shared his own experience of sepsis and amputation on national television, telling This Morning he had first developed the illness during a family camping trip.
Speaking of his injuries, Hopper previously claimed he and his daughter became unwell during a camping trip in 2019.
However, his insurers are now querying the case, with the surgeon now charged with two counts of insurance fraud after he insisted his sepsis 'was not self-inflicted'.
It is alleged that between 3 June and 26 June 2019, Hopper, who is originally from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, made a false representation to insurers - "namely the injuries to his legs were the result of sepsis and were not self-inflicted, intending to make a gain".
He is also charged with assisting in the commission of grievous bodily harm - namely encouraging others to remove body parts.
It's alleged that between August 21, 2018 and December4, 2020, the surgeon bought videos from an extreme body modification site named The EunuchMaker, with the footage involving the removal of limbs.
The 49-year-old's video is said to have “encouraged [website ringleader] Marius Gustavson to remove body parts of third parties”.
Gustavson has previously had his own penis cut off, his nipple removed and his leg frozen forcing its amputation. He was jailed for life for his activity linked to the site and cannibalistic activity.
The surgeon also allegedly bought videos from extreme body modification site The EunuchMaker that showed the removal of limbs.
Hopper said: "I opted not to have hundreds and hundreds of operations but just to have one to sort it out."
Devon and Cornwall Police said he has been remanded into custody to appear at Bodmin Magistrates' Court today.
Hopper claimed he would have needed multiple operations and skin grafts to save his legs, even being handed a bravery award following the double amputation.
The father, who worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals since March 2023, carried out hundreds of amputation operations on others in his role.
He was also branded one of the "bravest people in Britain" in 2020, winning the Against All Odds title at the Amplifon Awards.
However, the surgeon had General Medical Council restrictions placed upon him in April 2023 and has been suspended from the medical register since December 2023.
Police confirmed the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust has worked alongside police during the investigation.
A spokesperson for the trust said: “The charges do not relate to Mr Hopper’s professional conduct and there has been no evidence to suggest any risk to patients.