A body modification artist, known as “Dr Evil” who carried out a number of extreme procedures at his studio in Wolverhampton, including ear and nipple removal and tongue-splitting, pleaded guilty to three counts of grievous bodily harm (GBH).
All procedures including the removal of a customer’s ear, a client’s nipple and splitting a customer’s tongue, were carried out without an anaesthetic.
Public protection officers at the City of Wolverhampton Council served a notice on a tattoo parlour owner preventing him from carrying out body modification under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The tattoo parlour had been carrying out what were considered to be significant cosmetic procedures which should be carried out in a suitable medical facility.
An ear, nose and throat specialist, engaged by the City of Wolverhampton Council, advised that lack of medical training, an unsuitable operating environment, lack of specialist equipment, and working with untrained personnel at the tattoo parlour, meant that clients were at risk of severe bleeding, infection and life-changing complications.
A cabinet member for City of Wolverhampton Council called for the introduction of national legislation to protect members of the public against the risks of extreme body modification.
Councillor Steve Evans, Cabinet Member for City Environment at City of Wolverhampton Council said: “We have exposed a national issue which requires a national regulation to be introduced to protect members of the public against the risks of extreme body modification.
“Whilst I’m sure Mr McCarthy considers himself an artist, providing a service removing and cutting people’s body parts without adequate medical training from unsuitable retail premises, presents a risk to the public that we are not prepared to accept.
“McCarthy has been undertaking significant cosmetic practises which need to be carried out in a suitable medical facility and customers need to be psychologically vetted before the procedure.
“Cosmetic surgery requires a high level of legislation and we will be asking national government to address these extreme practises that are being increasingly requested by the public.”
McCarthy will be sentenced on Thursday 21 March, 2019 at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
