Two men, James Sheen and Michael Jones, have been jailed for their role in stealing a $9 million solid-gold toilet from Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. The thieves smashed their way into the property and made off with the fully functioning 18-carat artwork, dubbed “America”, created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.
Sheen, 40, was jailed for four years and 27 months, while Jones, 39, received a similar sentence. Sheen is already serving 19 years in jail for other offences, including a museum burglary and cash machine attacks. The gold from the toilet has not been recovered, with prosecutors saying it was likely broken up or melted down and sold soon after the theft.
The thieves used sledgehammers to break into the exhibition hall just hours after a glamorous launch party. Sheen is believed to have taken 20kg of gold to the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter and sold it for £54,000 per kilogram. Jones had previously claimed he visited the toilet before it was stolen but described it as “splendid”.
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-14/two-men-jailed-for-stealing-golden-toilet/105416758