S$8.1M golden toilet stolen from UK palace likely destroyed
In Sept 2019, an 18-carat gold toilet valued at £4.8 million (S$8.1 million) was stolen in a daring heist from Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.
According to Sky News, Oxford Crown Court recently heard that a gang of five men took less than five minutes to steal the fully functional artwork — titled America — which weighed approximately 98kg and was crafted by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.
Source: Blenheim Palace
Golden toilet stolen in swift & carefully planned burglary
Prosecutor Julian Christopher KC revealed that the thieves crashed through locked wooden gates using two stolen vehicles — an Isuzu truck and a VW Golf.
They drove across a field, smashed through a palace window, and broke into the cubicle housing the toilet. After ripping it from the plumbing, they fled, leaving water gushing from broken pipes.
Sledgehammers used in the heist were left at the scene. Days after the theft, two of the suspects were heard referring to the stolen toilet as “the car” in coded messages while negotiating with a Hatton Garden jeweller.
“All in all, they spent just five minutes in the building,” Mr Christopher stated, emphasizing how well-executed the burglary was.
Source: Kooky Cotsworld Tours
3 men deny charges, 1 pleads guilty
According to The Guardian, four men were charged over the theft in 2023.
However, three men — 39-year-old Michael Jones, 36-year-old Frederick Sines (also known as Frederick Doe), and 41-year-old Bora Guccuk — pleaded not guilty.
Jones allegedly took reconnaissance photos of the palace 17 hours before the burglary.
A fourth man, 40-year-old James Sheen, pleaded guilty in April 2024 to burglary and conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
Prosecutors allege that Sines and Guccuk assisted Sheen in attempting to sell portions of the stolen gold.
Artwork likely cut into pieces & will never be recovered
Investigators believe the golden toilet was cut into smaller pieces and sold off. Messages found on the suspects’ phones revealed negotiations for a price of £25,632 (S$433,000) per kilogram for around 20kg of the stolen gold.
Guccuk, who owned the Hatton Garden jewellery store, Pacha of London, was expected to make £3,000 (S$5,000) in profit per kilogram sold.
The court was told the artwork had never been recovered and was most likely melted down.
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Featured image adapted from Kooky Cotsworld Tours and Blenheim Palace.
