Prosecutor claims theft of golden toilet from English palace was an ‘audacious heist’

LONDON — Not your ordinary burglary, this heist involved an extraordinarily valuable item: a toilet made of 18-carat gold.
The unique fixture was stolen from Blenheim Palace—birthplace of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill—during the early morning hours of September 14, 2019. The court proceedings brought forth by the prosecutor revealed that the theft took place in less than five minutes.
Julian Christopher, the attorney representing the prosecution, described the event as an “audacious raid” as he opened the case in Oxford Crown Court. Three individuals are on trial in connection with the theft: one accused of stealing the toilet and the other two involved in its attempted sale.
The gold toilet, famously unaccounted for since its theft, is thought to have been dismantled and sold off piece by piece. Titled “America,” this satirical artwork by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan critiques lavish wealth, weighing over 215 pounds (approximately 98 kilograms) and having an insurance valuation of £4.8 million (around $6 million), while the value of the gold itself was estimated at £2.8 million (about $3.5 million).
Before its theft, the work had been showcased at The Guggenheim Museum in New York. It was reportedly offered to U.S. President Donald Trump during his first administration after he expressed interest in borrowing a Van Gogh piece.
Defendent Michael Jones was identified as having conducted reconnaissance on the palace on two occasions leading up to the theft: once before the gold toilet was displayed and subsequently after its installation. Christopher revealed that patrons could book times to use the toilet, and Jones had taken photographs of the entrances, including the lock on the bathroom door.
“His actions clearly indicate he was surveying the premises for the ensuing burglary,” Christopher stated, adding that this made him culpable of burglary charges.
On the day of the burglary, Jones, along with a group of four other men, reportedly broke through Blenheim Palace’s gates in stolen vehicles shortly after dawn. They accelerated across a field in an Isuzu truck and a VW Golf, coming to a stop at the front steps where they smashed through the window previously photographed by Jones.
They swiftly did away with the toilet door and extracted the prized golden throne from its plumbing, causing significant water damage to the UNESCO World Heritage site known for its valuable artwork and historical artifacts.
Christopher asserted that Jones collaborated closely with James Sheen, a builder who had connections to both the heist and the subsequent sale of the toilet. Sheen, who has already pleaded guilty to several related charges, attempted to negotiate the sale with accomplices Fred Doe and Bora Guccuk, referring to the toilet as a “car” in text exchanges.
“I’ll link up with ya, I got something right up your path,” Sheen texted Doe, to which Doe replied he could sell “that car for you in two seconds.”
Doe, aged 36, and Guccuk, aged 41, are also charged with conspiracy related to the transfer of stolen property, though all defendants have denied wrongdoing.