A man has admitted freezing the leg of an alleged ringleader who is accused of carrying out castrations and broadcasting the footage on his “eunuch maker” website.
Warning: The following article contains details of a graphic nature
Jacob Crimi-Appleby, 22, from Epsom in Surrey, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Marius Gustavson – who had to have his leg amputated – in February 2019.
It follows two more men, one of which worked as a nurse, admitting in April to removing other body parts belonging to Gustavson, including his nipple and penis.
Gustavson, originally from Norway, is alleged to be the ringleader in a wide-ranging conspiracy involving up to 29 offences of extreme body modifications on 13 victims, the removal and trade of body parts and the uploading of videos that people pay to watch.
The 45-year-old from Haringey, north London, pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to three men on dates in 2018 and 2019.
The charges relate to the alleged clamping and splitting of the genitals of the men, who cannot be identified for legal reasons. He later admitted separate charges of making and distributing indecent videos of a child.
The practice is linked to a subculture where men become “nullos” – short for genital nullification – by having their penis and testicles removed.
Nurse Nathan Arnold, 48, admitted the partial removal of Gustavson’s nipple, stealing anaesthetic from the hospital where he worked and possessing extreme pornography on 19 April.
Damien Byrnes, 35, from Tottenham, north London, admitted removing Gustavson’s penis.
Gustavson’s alleged “right-hand man”, Peter Wates, 66, is alleged to have been involved with nine of the 29 incidents.
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The 66-year-old, from Croydon in south London, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2022.
Other alleged conspirators include three from Newport in Gwent, South Wales: David Carruthers, 60; Janus Atkin, 38; and Ashley Williams, 31.
Romanian national Ion Ciucur, 29, who worked in a hotel in Gretna Green, Scotland, is said to have been involved in two incidents in the alleged conspiracy.
All defendants are said to have been part of a society in which people willingly undergo extreme body modification.
They were arrested after police raids in London, Scotland and South Wales.
A provisional trial of up to eight weeks has been set at the Old Bailey from 4 March next year.
