Man chopped off his penis with kitchen knife in Mutton Row

There were horrific scenes in Penryn, Cornwall, on Friday when a man chopped his penis off with a kitchen knife in front of horrified onlookers. The 43-year-old man, who lives in the town, could be seen running along Mutton Row at around 8.45pm, allegedly naked.

He then brandished the knife and cut off his penis, before collapsing to the ground. A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service said paramedics arrived just before 9pm the man was “bleeding heavily” and had fallen unconscious when they found him.



Police received the initial call from a member of the public, to say there was concern for a man. A spokesperson confirmed that there was no one else involved in the incident. The man was taken by land ambulance to the emergency department at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, where he was later described as being in a “stable” condition.

His injuries are not thought to the life threatening. It is thought the man may suffer from a mental health issue. It is understood that two women saw the incident unfold and ran terrified to a nearby house, where a man took them in and called the police.