Inside plot to steal £4.8million gold toilet that left thief 'stressed to death'
Today, one of the criminals behind one of the UK's most bizarre art heists - the theft of a solid gold toilet worth £4.8million - has been sentenced at Oxford Crown Court, nearly five years after their raid shocked the art world.
The fully functional 18-carat gold toilet, titled America, was on display at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Created by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, the piece was a glittering centrepiece of a temporary exhibition when it was wrenched from its plumbing in the early hours of September 14, 2019.
The court heard how a crew of masked thieves carried out the audacious raid in just five minutes, wielding sledgehammers and operating with military-like precision. Prosecutor Julian Christopher KC told jurors that the gang left behind their tools but made off with the 98kg toilet, insured for a staggering £4.75million.
The gold alone was valued at approximately £ 2.8 million. Despite extensive investigations and high-profile media coverage, the toilet was never recovered.
Prosecutors believe the sculpture was quickly broken down, melted, and dispersed. 'It appears to have been split up into smaller amounts of gold and never recovered,' Mr Christopher told the court.
The heist was allegedly carefully planned, with surveillance and reconnaissance in the days leading up to the burglary.
Michael Jones, 39, from Oxford, is accused of being part of the team who carried out the raid, with prosecutors alleging he photographed the toilet just 17 hours before it vanished.
Another key player, James Sheen, 40, from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, pleaded guilty in April 2024 to burglary and conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
He admitted playing a central role in both the theft and the attempted laundering of the gold that followed.
Frederick Sines, 36, also known as Frederick Doe, from Winkfield in Windsor, and Bora Guccuk, 41, from west London, are accused of helping Sheen sell the stolen gold in the weeks after the crime. Both deny conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
Described in court as a 'highly organised operation,' the theft was meticulously planned. The gang managed to remove the heavy, plumbed-in artwork without alerting security in time to stop them.
Today, Frederick Sines was handed a suspended sentence at Oxford Crown Court. He was found guilty after he helped James Sheen sell some of the gold in the weeks following the raid.
Judge Ian Pringle KC sentenced Doe to 21 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered him to do 240 hours of unpaid work. Doe, of Winkfield, Windsor, Berkshire, was found guilty by a jury at the same court in March of conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
Jones and Sheen are set to be sentenced at a later date.
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