A TATTOO ARTIST known as ‘Dr Evil’ has been jailed for 40 months for carrying out procedures such as ear and nipple removals and tongue splitting. 

Brendan McCarthy (50) carried out the body modifications at his Dr Evil studio between 2012 and 2015. 

An investigation was launched following complaints from people who had seen images online of McCarthy removing a client’s ear. 

McCarthy has no medical qualifications and is not registered with The General Medical Council.

After he was arrested, McCarthy claimed he did not believe he had broken the law by performing the modifications because his clients had consented to the procedures being carried out.

The defence presented lengthy and detailed legal argument to the Crown Court, Court of Appeal and were refused leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.

McCarthy pleaded guilty to three counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent at Wolverhampton Crown Court today.

“This is a landmark case involving body modification. This prosecution was not brought to seek to curtail individual choice or freedom of self-expression but because McCarthy, who was licensed to carry out tattooing and body piercing, was performing what were significant surgical procedures in a tattoo studio in Wolverhampton,” the Crown Prosecution Service’s Rhiannon Jones said. 

This case confirms the existing law that surgical procedures must be carried out by properly trained, qualified and regulated surgeons or health care professionals.

McCarthy was none of these and as a result his surgical procedures, albeit carried out at the request of his clients, were unlawful.

“The Court of Appeal judgement is clear and unequivocal and we would urge all those thinking of carrying out a body modification to please read it,” he said.