Berkshire man convicted over golden toilet theft
It was stolen from Blenheim Palace
Last updated 18th Mar 2025
Three men - including one from Berkshire - have been convicted in relation to the burglary of a golden toilet from Blenheim Palace.
James Sheen, aged 40 (DOB: 16 July 1984), of Wellingborough, pleaded guilty to one count each of burglary, conspiracy to transfer criminal property and transferring criminal property at Oxford Crown Court on 2 April 2024.
Following a trial at the same court, the jury found Michael Jones, aged 39 (DOB: 17 August 1985), of Oxford, guilty of one count of burglary today (18/3).
The jury also found Fred Doe, aged 36 (DOB: 1 May 1988), of Ascot, guilty of one count of conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
The jury also found Bora Guccuk, aged 41 (DOB: 5 January 1984), of West London, not guilty of one count of conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
Jones was remanded in custody and Doe was released on conditional court bail. Sheen remains in custody serving a previous sentence.
Sheen, Jones and Doe will all be sentenced at the same court at future hearings.
The burglary
In the early hours of 14 September 2019, a solid-gold toilet, worth an estimated £4.8 million, was stolen from Blenheim Palace in Woodstock.
The sculpture, called 'America' by artist Maurizio Cattelan, was a fully functioning toilet made of 18-carat solid gold, weighing around 98kg.
The exhibit went on display at the palace two days before the burglary, on 12 September 2019, with members of the public able to book use of the toilet in a room on the ground floor.
James Sheen put in motion a plan to steal the toilet. He sent Michael Jones to conduct a recce of the palace and its grounds on two occasions in the lead up to the burglary, on 7 and 13 September.
In the latter trip, Jones bought a Blenheim Palace membership and booked to use the toilet, taking photos of the sculpture, the room it was in and potential entry and exit points for the burglary.
At 4.50am on 14 September, the raid was carried out. Two stolen vehicles, a VW Golf and an Isuzu truck, entered the palace grounds at speed.
Three offenders armed with sledgehammers and a crowbar gained entry to the palace, smashed through the solid wooden door and tore the toilet from its fixings.
They carried the toilet out of the palace, rolled it along the ground, and placed it into the boot of the VW before driving off the same way they entered.
Sale of the gold
Between 15 and 28 September, Sheen then made plans to sell the gold; it is believed to have been moved to different locations and melted down in the hours after the raid.
Fred Doe contacted Sheen and offered to find a buyer for the gold and brokered the deal.
During the deal-making, both men referred to the gold bars as ‘cars’, each worth £26,000.
Between 26 and 28 September, Sheen made trips to London and received the cash for the gold.
Investigation
Sheen and Jones were arrested on 16 October 2019 and initially released on police bail as there was insufficient evidence for a charge to be authorised at the time.
Guccuck was arrested on 14 November 2019 and Doe was arrested on 16 January 2020.
the investigation continued with several significant lines of enquiry, including investigating the offenders’ mobile phones, complex and detailed forensic and DNA work, also had to be completed to help build the case.
All four men were charged on 6 November 2023.
Audacious
Shan Saunders of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This was an audacious raid which had been carefully planned and executed – but those responsible were not careful enough, leaving a trail of evidence in the form of forensics, CCTV footage and phone data.
“It has been a complex case to prosecute, involving a nationwide investigation with many lines of inquiry to identify those who were subsequently charged in relation to the theft.
“While none of the gold was ever recovered – no doubt having been broken up or melted down and sold on soon after it was stolen – we are confident this prosecution has played a part in disrupting a wider crime and money laundering network.”
Others
Thames Valley Police said other people were involved in the burglary at Blenheim Palace and called for anyone with information to come forward.
Speaking outside Oxford Crown Court following the verdicts, Detective Superintendent Bruce Riddell said: “As part of the investigation a number of other arrests were made but further charges could not be brought and it is clear that there are others who were involved in this crime.
“If anyone has information that they have not already come forward with in relation to the burglary or the sale of the gold, then we would encourage them to get in touch with Thames Valley Police or Crimestoppers.”
Speaking of Sheen, Mr Riddell said: “It is clear that Sheen has only one intent, and that is to do whatever he can to steal money and property regardless of the impact it has on others and communities.
“I am satisfied that Sheen pleaded guilty to his offences, and he will continue to serve time in prison for his crimes, as he was previously convicted of defrauding elderly and vulnerable people as well as the theft of money from cash machines and the organised theft of agricultural machinery.”
Speaking of Jones, Mr Riddell added: “Jones was clearly keen to assist Sheen in the burglary, carrying out the recces on his behalf and it is our case that he benefitted financially from the crime and we believe he also was present at the raid.”
Mr Riddell further said the convictions were the result of “a vast amount of work by detectives at Thames Valley Police”.
He said: “This has been a complex investigation with detailed forensic work, complex phone analysis and piecing together who planned the burglary of this unique piece of artwork, with an estimated value of £4.8 million.
“We made multiple arrests, investigated numerous scenes across the country, examined more than 2,000 exhibits, including CCTV enquiries, hundreds of statements, gathered a significant amount of intelligence, and looked into multiple lines of enquiry with our regional, national and international partners.
“All to find out who was behind the burglary, where the toilet had gone and who had profited from it.”
Pleased
Blenheim Palace said in a statement: “We are extremely pleased that, five years after the theft of Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork America, three individuals have been brought to justice.
“We would like to thank Thames Valley Police for their tireless work on this case and the highly professional way they have conducted their investigation into the theft from Blenheim Palace.”