close
close

Three culprits after Blenheim Palace Gold toilet worth millions stolen and sold to pieces

Three culprits after Blenheim Palace Gold toilet worth millions stolen and sold to pieces

18 carat gold loo, worth 4.8 million pounds, was ennobled by the gang in the middle of the night before being interrupted and sold – with none of the gold recovered since the 2019

 "America"A solid solid gold toilet, created by artist Maurizio Cattelan, is seen at the Blenheim Palace on September 12, 2019 in Woodstock, England. The Italian artist is known as The Prankster of the Art World. Its most notable piece being "America" A solid gold toilet who had art lovers who queued to be used when presented at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
None of gold has been recovered since it was stolen(Image: Getty images)

Three men who stole a kilogram of several million Golden toilet From the Blenheim Palace before breaking it to pieces and selling it were found guilty.

18-carat gold loo an insured art work for $ 6 million (4.75 million pounds) and weighing about 98 kg was Renewed by the gang under the cover of darkness just two days after it was installed as part of an exhibition at Oxfordshire Casatea house. James Sheen, 40 years old, and his accomplices drove two vehicles stolen by the locked gates of the palace just before 5 in the morning, on September 14, 2019. CCTV moviesthat has been played in YardHe showed the trio armed with sledgehammers and the bars they used to break into the mansion and remove the functional toilet.

Then he was loaded behind one of the stolen vehicles before the trio was running away from the stage. The carefully planned raid ended in just five minutes. Just a few days later, the work of art, called America, had been interrupted and sold – none of gold has been recovered since.

READ MORE: More houses reversed in robbery spaces, and the first suspect is unexpected

Theft of gold toilet at the Blenheim Palace - the place of the crime
The consequences of theft(Image: Jonathan Buckmaster/Daily Express)

Shan Saunders from the Criminal Prosecution Service of the Crown said: “This was an auditory attack that was planned and executed carefully – but those responsible were not sufficiently attentive, leaving a trace of forensics, CCTV images and telephone data.

“While none of the gold has ever been recovered – no doubt it was broken down or melted and sold shortly after it was stolen – we are sure that this pursuit has played a role in disturbing a wider crime network and money laundering.”

Hurrying of the screen taken from CCTV from 14/09/19 issued by the Thames Valley police, which shows two men with a Sledgehammer and a large bar in the yard in front of the Blenheim Palace, while the thieves rolled a gold toilet of 4.75 million pounds and incorporated early. The video was presented in court at the trial of Michael Jones, who is accused of burglary, and Frederick Sines and Bora Guccuk, who are accused with a conspiracy number to transfer criminal property. Date of problem: Tuesday, February 25, 2025. See Pa Story Couts Blenheim. PHOTO Credit should read: Thames Valley Police/Pa Wire Note to publishers: This file photo can only be used for editorial reporting purposes for contemporary illustration of events, things or people in the image or facts in the legend. Image reuse may require additional permission from the copyright holder.
Gasca was caught stealing the CCTV toilet(Image: Pa)

James Sheen, 40 years old, from Oxford, was guilty of crime last year, after the police found DNA on the spot and golden fragments in his clothing. While Sheen was one of the main ones behind the theft, Michael Jones, 39, played the role making a palace recognition visit on the days before theft and was present the night when the toilet was stolen.

As he was put in Jones at the trial of prosecutors, at his first visit before the opening of the art exhibition, he took pictures from inside the window building that the thieves will use to enter the palace. The day before the attack he took pictures of the toilet itself, the lock on the toilet door and other pictures with the same window from the outside.

The undated photography issued by the 40 -year -old James Sheen's Thames Valley police, which was guilty for burglary, conspiracy for the transfer of criminal properties and a transfer of criminal properties. Two men - Sheen and Michael Jones - were found guilty for the theft of a 4.75 million pounds at Blenheim Palace. The golden toilet that works completely 18 carats, which had been installed as an art work at Oxfordshire Country House, where Sir Winston Churchill was born, was stolen in an attack at the early hours of September 14, 2019. The date of the show: Tuesday, March 18, 2025. See Pa Story Count Blenheim. Photo credit should read: Thames Valley Police/Pa wire
James Sheen, 40 years old, was one of the main ones behind the plane(Image: Pa)

A few days after burglary, Sheen contacted Fred Doe, 36, to ask about selling gold. Through encoded messages, the two men spoke about “cars” and were offered “26 and a half” – about which he said the crown tracking service alluded to men obtaining 26,500 pounds per kilogram of the stolen gold.

A jury at Oxford Crown Court found Michael Jones today guilty and Fred doe guilty of conspiracy to convert or transfer criminal goods. Bora Guccuk, 41 years old, was not found guilty of conspiracy to convert or transfer the criminal goods.

The undated photography issued by the Thmes Valley police in Michael Jones, 39 years old, who was found guilty of burglary. Two men - Jones and James Sheen - were found guilty for the theft of a 4.75 million pounds at the Blenheim Palace. The golden toilet that works completely 18 carats, which had been installed as an art work at Oxfordshire Country House, where Sir Winston Churchill was born, was stolen in an attack at the early hours of September 14, 2019. The date of the show: Tuesday, March 18, 2025. See Pa Story Count Blenheim. Photo credit should read: Thames Valley Police/Pa wire
Michael Jones, 39 years old, was found guilty of burglary(Image: Pa)

Sheen had been accused of a burglary number, a conspiracy number to convert or transfer criminal goods and a conversion or transfer number of criminal properties earlier this year. Its DNA was found both on a left sled on the spot and in the stolen Isuzu truck used in RAID. The tracks, confiscated at his house, had hundreds of gold fragments on them, which, when analyzed, were indistinguisable by the gold from which the toilet was made.

Men will be convicted of a later date.