A gang has been convicted over the daring £4.8m gold toilet theft from Blenheim Palace in 2019, with two members of the group facing serious charges, though none of the stolen gold has been recovered.
The toilet, titled America, was part of an art exhibition at the Oxfordshire stately home and was taken hours after a glamorous launch event.
James Sheen, the gang's leader, and Michael Jones were convicted for their roles in the heist, while Fred Doe was found guilty of conspiring to sell the stolen gold. Bora Guccuk, who was involved in attempting to sell the gold, was acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence to convict him.
The heist took place on the night of the launch party for Maurizio Cattelan's America.
The gang rammed stolen cars through the gates of Blenheim Palace, smashed a window, and removed the 98kg (216lbs) golden toilet.
Within days, the artwork was broken up and sold, but none of the gold has been recovered by authorities.
Sheen, a 40-year-old from Oxford, pleaded guilty after DNA evidence and fragments of gold were found on his clothing. He has a history of criminal activity, including previous convictions for fraud and firearms offences. His involvement in the heist, and his continued criminal spree afterwards, led to his arrest four weeks after the theft.
The gang had carefully planned the burglary, with Jones taking photographs of the toilet and the premises the day before the theft. It was revealed that the gang exploited several security flaws at Blenheim Palace, where the toilet was not monitored by CCTV or protected by patrolling guards at the time of the heist.
The theft involved a combination of meticulous planning and audacity. The toilet, worth £2.8m in gold alone, was part of an exhibition and was insured for $6m (£4.8m). Despite quick police response, the thieves were already gone by the time officers arrived.
The crime has highlighted both the vulnerabilities in the security at the palace and the sheer audacity of the thieves.
While Sheen and his associates managed to evade capture for weeks, police eventually linked Sheen to the crime through forensic evidence. He was arrested and later connected to a similar raid at the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket, where more valuable trophies were stolen.
Sheen, who has spent much of his life in prison, was found to have profited from other crimes, including a spate of thefts and frauds that generated millions of pounds in illicit gains.
Despite being arrested and jailed, the proceeds from his criminal activity have largely gone unseized.
In total, Sheen’s criminal activities have netted over £5m, though investigations to recover these assets are ongoing. His conviction for the Blenheim heist and his ongoing legal battles over his earlier crimes underline the difficulties faced by authorities in tackling organised crime and recovering stolen assets.
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