Two men found guilty over £4.8m gold toilet theft

Two men have been found guilty over the theft of a £4.75 million gold toilet from Blenheim Palace.

The fully-functioning 18-carat toilet, which had been installed as an artwork at the Oxfordshire country house where Sir Winston Churchill was born, was stolen in a raid in the early hours of September 14 2019.

It was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and was a star attraction in an exhibition when it was stolen.

Jurors at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday found Michael Jones, 39, guilty of burglary.

Frederick Doe, 36, of Winkfield, Windsor, Berkshire has also been found guilty by majority verdict of conspiracy to transfer criminal property.

Bora Guccuk, 41, from west London, has also been standing trial and has been found not guilty of the same charge as Doe.

During the trial, the court has heard how Doe helped one of the men who pleaded guilty to carrying out the burglary - James Sheen - to sell some of the gold in the following weeks.

Jones, from Oxford, visited the palace twice before the theft but had denied these were reconnaissance trips.

He previously told jurors he "took advantage of" the gold toilet's "facilities" while at the country house the day before it was taken.

Asked what it was like, Jones said: "Splendid."

Jurors were previously told that James Sheen, 40, from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, had already pleaded guilty to burglary.

He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transfer criminal property and one count of transferring criminal property, at Oxford Crown Court in April 2024.

The court previously heard that Jones had worked as a roofer and builder for Sheen from around 2018 and was effectively Sheen's "right-hand man", being trusted to arrange payments for his friend's other employees.