The leader of an extreme body modification ring claimed £18,500 in disability benefits after being the “willing victim” of a procedure to amputate his leg, a court has been told.
Warning: The following article contains graphic details of extreme physical mutilation
Norwegian national Marius Gustavson, 46, set up the “eunuch maker” website, where people subscribed and were charged a pay-per-view fee in order to watch footage of the procedures, the Old Bailey was told.
Caroline Carberry KC said he led the “widespread practice” of extreme body modification over more than five years, including “the removal of genitals and testicles, clamping of testicles to the point of castration and the freezing of a limb required to be amputated”.
Ten men have been charged over their alleged participation in the practice, including Damien Byrnes, 36, nurse Nathaniel Arnold, 48, and Jacob Crimi-Appleby, 23, who are being sentenced at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm (GBH).
Gustavson was said to be the “willing victim” when Byrnes cut off his penis, Arnold removed the tip of his nipple and Crimi-Appleby froze his left leg at his flat in Harringay, north London.
Gustavson, who has admitted charges including conspiracy to commit GBH, faces sentencing at a later date and was refused permission by Judge Mark Lucraft KC to attend Friday’s hearing.
Image: Jacob Crimi-Appleby admitted freezing Gustavson’s leg
Crimi-Appleby, from Epsom, Surrey, has admitted freezing Gustavson’s left leg so that it had to be amputated in February 2019.
They first started communicating when Crimi-Appleby was 17, but he told Gustavson he was 18.
He said he was interested in castration and Gustavson told Crimi-Appleby that he was a “great age”, and encouraged him to have the procedure.
They began a sexual relationship in early 2019, with Gustavson boasting about other modifications and keeping the testicles of other men in a jar, which Crimi-Appleby thought was “awesome”.
A video for the eunuch maker website shows Gustavson sitting on a bed with his left leg in a bucket saying “ooh this is cold” as Crimi-Appleby adds dry ice.
Gustavson was treated at the Royal Free Hospital following the procedure, which lasted at least eight hours and eventually resulted in his left leg being amputated below the knee.
Medical notes state: “Self-amputation by freezing the leg can pose risks to both life and limb.”
He was discharged around two months after the amputation and received £18,500 in benefits between July 2019 and October 2021 after making a successful claim for Personal Independent Payment – to help people with extra costs of living with a health condition or disability.
Byrnes, who was initially hired by Gustavson as an escort, “readily agreed” to perform a modification, knowing it would be filmed and uploaded to the website to generate revenue, the court was told.
His face was clearly shown in the video of him removing Gustavson’s penis using a kitchen knife in what was described as “a life-threatening procedure performed in a non-medical environment”.
He is heard to say: “Well that’s one off the bucket list. I never expected that one,” and asks Gustavson: “Would you eat humans?”
Gustavson called an ambulance following the procedure and was taken to hospital for treatment.
The court heard Byrnes, from Tottenham, north London, was initially offered £500 and his motivation was “financial rather than sexual”, although it is not clear how much he was paid.
Arnold, from South Kensington, west London, admitted removing the tip of Gustavson’s nipple with a disposable surgical blade in the summer 2019.
He also admitted the theft of local anaesthetic lidocaine from the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where he worked in the dermatology unit as a nurse, and possession of extreme pornography.
Referred to as “Nurse Nate” in messages by Gustavson, the prosecutor said he was both a “victim”, having undergone a genital mutilation procedure himself, and a perpetrator of harm.
But what about his style ‘prince’? Some want that ditched too.
It’s a complicated but not impossible process. Andrew could, of course, just stop using it voluntarily.
Some want him to give up his home, too. For a non-working royal, the stately Royal Lodge, with its plum position on the Windsor Estate, is an uncomfortable optic.
With the reputation of the monarchy at risk, William does not want to appear weak. He’s putting loyalty to “the firm” firmly above his familial relationships.
Prince Andrew has always strongly denied the allegations, and restated on Friday: “I vigorously deny the accusations against me”. Sky News has approached him for comment on the fresh allegations set out in the Mail on Sunday.
But with Virginia Giuffre’s tragic death and posthumous memoir due out on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace will be braced for more scandal.
When Andrew gave up his titles, there was certainly a sense of relief.
There is now a sense of dread over what else could emerge.
Sky News’ royal commentator has explained why Prince Andrew has not given up being called a prince – while another expert has said “the decent thing” for him to do would be “go into exile” overseas.
Andrew announced on Friday that he would stop using his Duke of York title and relinquish all other honours, including his role as a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
However, he will continue to be known as a prince.
Royal commentator Alastair Bruce said that while Andrew’s other honours and titles were conferred to him later in life, he became a prince when he was born to Elizabeth II while she was queen.
He told presenter Kamali Melbourne: “I think […] that style was quite special to the late Queen,” he said. “And perhaps the King, for the moment, thinks that can be left alone.
“It’s a matter really for the King, for the royal household, perhaps with the guidance and advice of government, which I’m sure they are taking.”
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2:49
Who pushed Andrew to drop his titles?
Since Andrew’s announcement, there has been speculation over whether any further measures will be taken – and one author has now called for him to “go into exile”.
More on Prince Andrew
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Andrew Lownie, author of The Rise And Fall Of The House Of York, said: “The only way the story will go away is if he leaves Royal Lodge, goes into exile abroad with his ex-wife, and is basically stripped of all his honours, including Prince Andrew.”
Royal Lodge is the Windsor mansion Andrew lives in with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who has also lost her Duchess of York title.
Image: Andrew and his former wife continue to live on the Windsor estate. Pic: Reuters
Mr Lownie continued: “He makes out he’s an honourable man and he’s putting country and family first. Well, if he is, then the optics look terrible for the monarchy. A non-working royal in a 30-room Crown Estate property with a peppercorn rent.
“He should do the decent thing and go. And frankly, he should go into exile.”
Mr Lownie added if the Royal Family “genuinely want to cut links, they have to put pressure on him to voluntarily get out”.
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1:11
Windsor’s take on Prince Andrew
Andrew’s decision to stop using his titles was announced amid renewed scrutiny of his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and fresh stories linked to the late Virginia Giuffre.
Ms Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, alleged she was sexually assaulted by Andrew on three occasions – which he has always vigorously denied.
Bereaved families whose loved ones took their own lives after buying the same poison online have written to the prime minister demanding urgent action.
Warning: This article contains references to suicide
The group claims there have been “multiple missed opportunities” to shut down online forums that promote suicide and dangerous substances.
They warn that over 100 people have died after purchasing a particular poison in the last 10 years.
Among those who have written to Downing Street is Pete Aitken, whose daughter Hannah was 22 when she took her own life after buying the poison from a website.
Hannah was autistic and had ADHD. She was treated in six different mental health hospitals over a four-year period.
He said: “Autistic people seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of sort of poison and, you know, wanting to take their lives.”
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4:05
Pete Aitken speaking to Sky News
Sky News is not naming the poison, but Hannah was able to buy a kilogram of it online. Just one gram is potentially fatal.
“There’s this disparity between the concentration required for its legitimate use and that required for ending your life. And it seems quite clear you could make a distinction,” Mr Aitken said.
Analysis from the Molly Rose Foundation and the group Families and Survivors to Prevent Online Suicide Harms says at least 133 people have died because of the poison. It also says coroners have written warnings about the substance on 65 separate occasions.
The report accuses the Home Office of failing to strengthen the regulation of the poison and says not enough is being done to close dangerous suicide forums online.
Lawyers representing the group want a public inquiry into the deaths.
In a joint letter to the prime minister, the families said: “We write as families whose loved ones were let down by a state that was too slow to respond to the threat.
“This series of failings requires a statutory response, not just to understand why our loved ones died but also to prevent more lives being lost in a similar way.”
The group’s lawyer, Merry Varney, from Leigh Day, said: “The government is rightly committed to preventing deaths through suicide, yet despite repeated warnings of the risks posed by an easily accessible substance, fatal in small quantities and essentially advertised on online forums, no meaningful steps have been taken.”
Image: Hannah’s dad is one of the family members to have signed the letter
A government spokesperson said: “Suicide devastates families and we are unequivocal about the responsibilities online services have to keep people safe on their platforms.
“Under the Online Safety Act, services must take action to prevent users from accessing illegal suicide and self-harm content and ensure children are protected from harmful content that promotes it.
“If they fail to do so, they can expect to face robust enforcement, including substantial fines.”
They added that the position is “closely monitored and reportable under the Poisons Act, meaning retailers must alert authorities if they suspect it is being bought to cause harm”.
“We will continue to keep dangerous substances under review to ensure the right safeguards are in place,” they said.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.