Two men have been sentenced to prison for the theft of an eighteen-carat gold toilet in 2019. The toilet was part of an exhibition at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, England, where it functioned as a ‘regular’ toilet.
In September 2019, five men in two stolen vehicles drove onto the grounds of Blenheim Palace. They forced the closed gates, broke in through a window, smashed a door, and removed the 98-kilo toilet within minutes. The artwork has never been recovered. It is suspected that it was sold in parts.
James Sheen, 40, had already pleaded guilty to, among other things, the burglary and the trafficking of the gold. He was sentenced to four years in prison but must first serve a prison sentence of nearly twenty years for a series of other thefts.
Michael Jones, 39, was sentenced to 27 months in prison. According to the judge, he may not have been physically present at the theft but played an important role in the “brutal robbery”.
Another suspect had previously been sentenced to 240 hours of community service and a 21-month suspended sentence. He acted as an intermediary in the sale of the gold. According to the judge, a total of five people are responsible for the theft.
The toilet is a work of art by the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. The toilet is worth approximately six million euros and was located in Blenheim Palace. There, visitors could use the toilet as part of an exhibition. The theft caused water damage to the monumental building.
The toilet was previously on display at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The images below were taken there.