CCTV footage of the theft of a solid gold toilet, valued at £4.8m, was shown in court during the trial of three men accused of the burglary. The toilet, titled America, was stolen from Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire in the early hours of 14 September 2019. The thieves, armed with sledgehammers and a crowbar, were seen breaking into the palace and stealing the 18-carat gold toilet, which was part of an exhibition by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.
Photo: Dreamstime.
The CCTV footage showed two cars entering the Great Courtyard of the palace, which was covered in union flags for the exhibition. The thieves then used a crowbar to break into the wooden cubicle containing the toilet and removed it, leaving water running from the pipes. The toilet was later bundled into the back of a blue VW Golf, which sagged under the weight of the 98kg item.
Michael Jones, 39, from Oxford, denies burglary, while Fred Doe, 36, from Windsor, and Bora Guccuk, 41, from West London, deny conspiring to transfer criminal property. The court also heard that Jones had previously visited the palace with his partner and took photos of the toilet, including the window through which the thieves entered.
A fourth man, James Sheen, pleaded guilty to burglary earlier in the trial. Prosecutors presented voice messages from Sheen, which suggested the gold toilet had been broken up after it was stolen. The trial continues.
Source: www.bbc.com