A vascular surgeon in Britain had his legs chopped off to claim nearly £466,653 (Sh60 million) in insurance, a court has heard.
Neil Hopper, 49, is accused of dishonestly making false representations to insurers, claiming his leg injuries were the “result of sepsis and were not self-inflicted” between June 3 and June 26, 2019.
One claim, to Arriva Group, was for £235,622 (Sh30 million), while another to Old Mutual was for £231,031 (Sh29.7 million).
Bodmin Magistrates’ court heard that Mr Hopper was also charged with encouraging someone else to remove the body parts of others.
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He has been accused of buying videos from the Eunuch Maker website showing the removal of limbs, which “encouraged Marius Gustavson to remove body parts of third parties” between Aug 21 2018 and Dec 4 2020.
Mr Hopper has not worked at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust since March 2023.
The General Medical Council placed restrictions on his practice the following month, and he was suspended from the medical register in December 2023.
A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: “The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, where Mr Hopper has been employed, has worked closely with Devon and Cornwall Police throughout the investigation.”
Mr Hopper previously told the BBC that losing his legs had made his life “more interesting”.
“The thought of power tools being used on me was icky. It was really weird,” he added.
A hospital trust spokesman said: “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.”
