Daring $9.5 million toilet heist caught on camera

2025-02-26 03:07:00

Abstract: UK court showed CCTV of a gold toilet theft from Blenheim Palace in 2019. The "America" art piece, worth millions, remains unrecovered. Four men are accused.

CCTV surveillance footage played in a UK court shows the moment a gold toilet was stolen from Blenheim Palace museum. The video shows several men dressed in black running quickly towards a parked car, one of whom is holding what appears to be a gold toilet seat.

The unique 18-karat gold toilet was stolen from Blenheim Palace in under five minutes in the early hours of September 14, 2019. Blenheim Palace is the birthplace of British wartime leader Winston Churchill and a sprawling English country estate. Prosecutors presented the case to a jury overnight in the UK.

The toilet has never been recovered and is believed to have been cut up and sold. The satirical piece, entitled "America," was created by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan to satirize excessive wealth. It weighed just over 98 kilograms and was insured for £4.8 million ($9.54 million). The value of the gold at the time was £2.8 million ($5.57 million). The piece had previously been exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

The BBC reported that the jury also watched surveillance footage showing the alleged thieves visiting Blenheim Palace museum the day before the toilet was stolen. Michael Jones, 39, is accused of theft, while Fred Doe, 36, and Bora Guccuk, 41, are both accused of conspiring to transfer criminal property.

A fourth man, James Sheen, 40, has previously admitted to theft in connection with the incident. The case is currently undergoing further trial proceedings.