Trial starts for theft of a £4.8M gold toilet from Blenheim Palace in 2019. Three defendants face charges.
Frederick Sines, 35, from Ascot, and Bora Guccuk, 40, from west London, are co-defendants. Both face charges, allegedly transferring criminal property.
The stolen item was a solid gold toilet, costing £4.8 million. The toilet was 18-carat gold. Visitors could look at it and even sit on it.
Maurizio Cattelan created it, and it was installed at the palace near Churchill’s birth room. Cattelan titled the piece “America”.
The art piece drew crowds in New York at the Guggenheim Museum. Cleaners checked it every 15 minutes, and the museum limited use to three minutes.
Alleged thieves left the flushing system and the toilet paper. The toilet has not been found.
Cattelan hoped for a prank and questioned stealing a toilet, saying it was for the 99 percent. The palace boss called it a pointless theft, thinking it would ‘immortalize’ the work.
Dominic Hare defended the security, finding it deeply ironic. A work for all was stolen quickly and hidden from view.
James Sheen, 39, from Wellingborough, already pleaded guilty, admitting burglary and related crimes. He awaits sentencing later.
Sheen appeared via video link from HMP Five Wells, where he is serving a 17-year sentence involving other thefts.
The trial will last about four weeks, presided over by Judge Ian Pringle. It starts at noon on Monday.