Two British men have been convicted for their roles in the high-profile theft of a solid gold toilet, stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019. The toilet, worth £4.8 million (approximately $6.5 million), was part of a contemporary art exhibit and fully operational at the time it was taken.
James Sheen and Michael Jones were found guilty after years of investigation, with police relying on digital evidence and forensic traces. Sheen, identified as the mastermind behind the burglary, had left DNA at the scene and shared an image of £520,000 in a duffel bag via text—believed to be proceeds from the sale of the gold.
Jones, who was arrested earlier in 2025, was also linked to the crime by selfies he took with the toilet prior to the theft. During the trial, he admitted to using the golden fixture and described it as a “splendid” experience. The toilet was removed in under six minutes after they booked an advance visit to scout the exhibit.
Investigators cited a wealth of digital material, including over 30,000 pages of evidence. Messages, images, and DNA traces on a sledgehammer and in a stolen getaway car solidified their case. Authorities praised the coordination involved in bringing the suspects to justice after several years.
“This wealth of evidence ultimately enabled us to secure their convictions,” an officer stated during the trial.
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