26.02.2025 11:01
A gold toilet worth £4.75 million was stolen from Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England. The thieves spent only five minutes in the building while stealing the toilet. The gold toilet was installed as a work of art in the historic mansion where Sir Winston Churchill was born, and it is believed to have been dismantled after being stolen.
Thieves Steal £4.75 Million Gold Toilet from Blenheim Palace in England
Police released footage of masked criminals stealing the gold toilet from Blenheim Palace in the early hours of the morning.
The police shared CCTV images of the thieves carrying the £4.75 million gold toilet away in the back of a car after the raid at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
The robbers spent only five minutes in the building while stealing the toilet - the artwork has never been found since the theft. The raid on the historic mansion took place in the early hours of September 14, 2019.
CCTV footage shows hooded thieves getting out of the vehicle wearing jackets. One of the accomplices is seen handing out sledgehammers and crowbars to the others before moving towards the window where the toilet was located. The court heard that the fully functional toilet was insured for an astonishing £4.75 million.
The gold toilet, named "America," was installed as an artwork in the historic mansion in Oxfordshire, where Sir Winston Churchill was born. Created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, the gold toilet was the mansion's biggest attraction before it was stolen and believed to have been destroyed.
39-year-old Micheal Jones claimed he was innocent of stealing the gold toilet in January. Along with him, 36-year-old Frederick Sines from West London and 41-year-old Bora Guccuk also denied the charges. They all deny a charge of conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
On Monday, prosecutor Julian Christopher told the court: "The thieves clearly knew exactly where they were going. They went to the wooden door of the toilet, armed with sledgehammers."
"They dismantled the fully installed toilet, took it away while water was running from the pipes, and then left. They spent only five minutes in the building in total."
Prosecutors in the case allege that Jones's visit to Blenheim Palace five days before the robbery was for "reconnaissance" to scout the area and find an entry point to steal the toilet.
Hours after the visit, Jones sent a WhatsApp message to a man named James Sheen. Sheen later admitted his role in the robbery.