Michael Jones found guilty of stealing a gold toilet from Blenheim Palace. Co-defendants’ verdicts pending in ongoing trial.
The jury reached a decision on Jones today. However, they haven’t decided on his co-defendants. Frederick Doe is 35 and from Ascot, while Bora Guccuk is 40 and from west London. They are charged with transferring criminal property, specifically aiding the sale of gold.
The men’s trial started last month at Oxford Crown Court. Another man, Sheen, is 40 and from Wellingborough. He already pleaded guilty to burglary.
The stolen toilet was made of 18-carat gold and entitled “America”. It was an artwork at Blenheim Palace, where Sir Winston Churchill was born. Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan created it, and the toilet was fully functional.
The toilet was insured for $6 million, which is about £4.75 million. The gold itself was worth £2.8 million around the time it was installed.
Jones visited Blenheim Palace before the art exhibition opened. This visit was part of his plan to steal the gold toilet.
Five men broke into Blenheim Palace in the early morning of September 14, 2019. Sheen and Jones were two of the men, and they used sledgehammers to gain entry.
The prosecutor spoke about the burglary, saying it was carefully planned and carried out quickly. The men used stolen vehicles and drove through locked gates.
The burglars smashed a window and went through two doors to get to the small lavatory. The gold toilet was plumbed in there, and CCTV caught Jones visiting beforehand.
After the theft, Doe allegedly helped Sheen contact Guccuk, who runs a jewelry store in London called “Pacha of London”. He wanted to sell the gold.
Guccuk planned to buy the gold, paying Sheen £25,632, and then resell it himself. The gold toilet was never recovered.
During the trial, each man denied wrongdoing. Jones said he was just interested in art, but the jury did not believe him. Doe said he connected Sheen with Guccuk, claiming he didn’t know the gold was stolen and made no money. Guccuk’s lawyer said he also had no idea the gold might have been stolen.
It is not known when the jury will decide about Doe and Guccuk.