Two men, James ‘Jimmy’ Sheen, 40, and Michael Jones, 39, both from Oxford, have been sentenced to prison for stealing a £4.8m gold toilet from Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. The theft occurred in September 2019, just hours after a glamorous launch party at the stately home.
The thieves smashed their way into the palace, ripping out the functional 18-carat solid gold toilet in a daring raid that lasted only five minutes. The toilet, a work of art by Maurizio Cattelan, was insured for £4.8m and weighed approximately 98kg. CCTV footage showed the group using sledgehammers and crowbars to break in and remove the toilet.
Sheen, a career criminal, was a key player in the heist and was convicted of burglary, transferring criminal property, and conspiracy to do the same. Jones was found guilty of burglary. The investigation revealed that Sheen’s DNA was found on a sledgehammer left at the scene, and gold fragments were discovered in his clothing. Police also recovered his phone, which contained incriminating messages.
During the trial, jurors heard voice messages sent by Sheen to Fred Doe, a Berkshire businessman who was convicted of conspiring to sell the gold. The messages used coded language, Romany slang, and cockney rhyming slang, making interpretation a complex process. In one message, Sheen confirmed he was in possession of some of the gold toilet, saying, “I think you know what I’ve got… I’ve just been a bit quiet with it.” He also used the word “car” as code for gold, stating, “The car is what it is mate, innit? The car is as good as money.”
Sheen was sentenced to four years in prison, while Jones received a sentence of two years and three months. Fred Doe, who acted as a “middle man” in the heist, was given a suspended sentence of 21 months and ordered to do 240 hours of unpaid work.
The theft of the gold toilet sparked widespread interest, with many viewing it as a daring and audacious crime. The artist, Maurizio Cattelan, joked that he initially thought the theft was a prank, saying, “I wish it was a prank.” The incident highlights the need for robust security measures at cultural institutions and the importance of protecting valuable artwork.
