Four men have been charged with theft after a £4.8 million 18-carat solid gold toilet went missing overnight after a raid on Winston Churchill’s birthplace.
The toilet, built by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan as part of an exhibition, was taken from the Blenheim Palace on September 14, 2019, just a day after it was revealed.
James Sheen, 39, was charged with one crime of burglary, one count of conspiracy to transfer illegal property, and one count of criminal property transfer. Michael Jones, 38, has been charged with burglary on one count.
Bora Guccuk, 39, and Fred Doe, 35, have both been charged with conspiracy to transfer illegal property.
The artist’s ‘America’ statement toilet was installed at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2016, and 100,000 people queued to use it.
Cattelan’s first solo UK performance in more than 20 years was moved to Blenheim, into a chamber adjoining the room where Winston Churchill was born.
At the time of the theft, artist Cattelan stated he hoped it was a joke and pondered, “Who is so stupid to steal a toilet?” [The title of the book] America was the one percent for the 99 percent.
Meanwhile, the palace’s chief executive, Dominic Hare, said he hoped the “pointless” theft would “immortalize” the work before defending the stately home’s “sophisticated security system.”
The chairman went on to say that it was ‘extremely ironic’ that a work ‘portraying the American Dream’ and an exclusive product made available to everybody was ‘instantly snatched away and hidden from view’.
‘The Crown Prosecution Service has authorized charges in relation to the theft of a gold toilet from Blenheim Palace in 2019,’ stated Senior Crown Prosecutor Shan Saunders.
‘Criminal proceedings against James Sheen, Michael Jones, Fred Doe, and Bora Guccuk are now underway, and each of them has the right to a fair trial.
‘It is critical that there is no online reporting, discussion, or sharing of material that could jeopardize these proceedings.’
On November 28, 2023, the four men will appear in Oxford Magistrates’ Court.
