In a daring and highly orchestrated raid, a 18-carat gold toilet worth £4.8 million was stolen from Blenheim Palace, leaving the art world in disbelief.
The bold heist unfolded in a mere five minutes, but the aftermath has left the authorities unraveling a complex plot involving multiple criminals, including three men now standing trial at Oxford Crown Court.
The Heist at Blenheim Palace
On the early morning of September 14, 2019, a gang of five men infiltrated the grounds of Blenheim Palace, driving stolen vehicles to gain access.
Prosecutor Julian Christopher KC detailed the robbery, explaining how the thieves drove up to the front steps of the palace, smashed a window, and made their way to the restroom that housed the golden toilet.
The toilet, which was fully plumbed in, was removed with the burglars leaving water pouring out from the broken pipes, and they fled the scene within five minutes.
Christopher noted that such an audacious heist would have required meticulous preparation, hinting that the burglars were no amateurs.
A Gold Toilet Like No Other
The stolen toilet, named ‘America,’ was not just a functional restroom fixture but a controversial piece of art.
Weighing 98kg and made entirely of 18-carat gold, its value was not just in the gold itself, which was worth around £2.8 million, but also as part of an exhibition.
Visitors to Blenheim Palace could use the toilet, though a guard ensured no one locked themselves inside the cubicle.
The artwork had been on display for only a few days, from September 12, before the heist took place.
Unfortunately, the toilet was never recovered and is believed to have been melted down and sold as gold.
The Men Behind the Crime
Three men—Michael Jones, 39, from Oxford; Frederick Doe, 36, from Windsor; and Bora Guccuk, 41, from London—are currently facing trial in connection with the theft.
Jones is accused of burglary, while Doe and Guccuk face charges related to the conversion or sale of stolen property.
The prosecution claims that Jones played a crucial role in the burglary, having visited Blenheim Palace with his partner Carly days before the theft and even taking photographs of the window that would later be smashed to enter the building.
Just 17 hours before the robbery, Jones allegedly took another photo of the golden toilet, suggesting he was involved in reconnaissance for the crime.
Planning the Heist and the Aftermath
The prosecution’s case paints a picture of careful preparation and teamwork.
It is suggested that Jones, having visited the exhibition twice in close succession, was involved in planning the raid.
Meanwhile, his associate James Sheen, who has already pleaded guilty to burglary, was allegedly coordinating the heist.
Sheen, a builder at the time, owned a company called Principle Home Developments.
The court has also heard that, in the days following the burglary, Jones and other members of the gang made efforts to sell the stolen gold.
It is believed that the stolen toilet was melted down, and the gold sold, with the defendants facing charges related to this disposal of the artwork.
The Investigation and Arrests
The investigation into the crime led to Jones’s arrest in October 2019.
Police reportedly found that he had been searching for news reports about the stolen toilet shortly after the theft, which the prosecution suggests further links him to the crime. With the stolen toilet still unrecovered and the gang’s actions leading to significant loss, the trial is set to determine whether these men were the masterminds behind one of the most audacious art thefts in recent memory.