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Disclaimer: The article below contains graphic details of body mutilations. Reader discretion is advised.
Marius Gustavson, the alleged ringleader of an extreme body modifications group infamously known as the "eunuch maker," has come under scrutiny after claiming £18,500 in disability benefits following the voluntary amputation of his leg. The shocking revelations unfolded at the Old Bailey during the sentencing of ten men charged in connection with this gruesome and "lucrative" enterprise, The Guardian reported.
Gustavson, 46, was purportedly the mastermind behind a widespread operation that involved extreme body modifications procedures, some of which were filmed and streamed on his pay-per-view website. These procedures included the removal of genitals, attracting subscribers from around the world.
Three of the defendants, Nathaniel Arnold, 48, Jacob Crimi-Appleby, 23, and Damien Byrnes, 36, appeared at the Old Bailey in London for sentencing on Friday after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with the intent to Gustavson. Shockingly, a video presented in court showed Byrnes cutting off Gustavson's penis with a kitchen knife, quipping, "Well, that's one off the bucket list."
The court learned that Gustavson had advertised on a gay dating app for someone to assist him in becoming a eunuch before offering Byrnes, an escort, £500 to carry out the procedure. Byrnes was fully aware that the procedure would be filmed, with revenue generated from pay-per-view subscriptions on Gustavson's website.
Prosecutor Caroline Carberry KC revealed text messages between the two, where Byrnes expressed concern about potential blood loss and asked, "won't you lose a lot of blood, like nearly die?" Two days before the procedure, Gustavson referred to Byrnes as a "sexy, kinky helper" and claimed to have performed similar operations on over 26 individuals, removing both their penis and testicles.
Gustavson called 999 after the procedure took place in his Haringey flat on February 18, 2017, describing it as "a little bit more than a circumcision." Following initial treatment at a hospital, he was referred to a psychiatric unit for assessment.
Byrnes confessed to performing the procedure for financial gain, and financial records showed that Gustavson had paid him over £1,500 during a two-year period.
Another co-defendant, Jacob Crimi-Appleby, from Epsom in Surrey, assisted in freezing Gustavson's leg, ultimately leading to its amputation on February 21, 2019. The court heard that their relationship started when Crimi-Appleby was 17, and they engaged in explicit discussions about amputation procedures, with Crimi-Appleby expressing excitement about seeing Gustavson "without a leg."
A chilling five-minute clip of the eight-hour freezing process was presented in court, depicting the two men laughing as Crimi-Appleby added ice to a bucket. Gustavson eventually required leg amputation and spent two months in the hospital.
Arnold, a nurse from South Kensington, admitted to partially removing Gustavson's nipple in the summer of 2019. He also confessed to stealing anesthetic from the Chelsea and Westminster hospital where he worked and possessing extreme pornography. Arnold provided medical advice for procedures and shared a disturbing manual titled "Penile Disassembly Manual: anatomical surgical steps."
While Gustavson had ostensibly "consented and encouraged" the defendants to participate in these extreme procedures, text messages presented in court suggested that all parties involved were "willing participants."
Caroline Carberry KC emphasized that the harm inflicted upon Gustavson was "so serious and so severe and life-threatening" that hospital treatment was necessary to "put things right."
Gustavson previously admitted charges related to the conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm. He, along with the other defendants, will be sentenced on March 4th and 5th. The case continues before Judge Mark Lucraft KC at the Old Bailey.
Disclaimer: This article has been written by a generative AI tool and edited by the DH Web Desk