A hapless burglar has been convicted over the theft of a £4.8 million golden toilet, snatched in a dramatic five-minute raid at Blenheim Palace.
Michael Jones, 39, was found guilty for his role in the burglary on September 14, 2019, after police spotted him carrying out an amateurish reconnaissance hours earlier.
He faces the prospect of years behind bars alongside his boss – career criminal James Sheen, 40 – who pleaded guilty to burglary at an earlier hearing.
The verdict was returned unanimously after eight-and-a-half hours by the jury of eight women and four men, who have not yet reached verdicts for the other two defendants – Fred Doe and Bora Guccuk.
Both deny conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
They were told by Judge Ian Pringle KC he would accept a majority verdict, rather than one agreed unanimously, for the other two defendants, who are accused of laundering the stolen gold.
The 18-carat golden toilet was an artwork called ‘America’ by satirist Maurizio Cattelan and had been plumbed in at Blenheim Palace for visitors to use at an exhibition in September 2019.
But in the early hours of September 14 – just two days after the toilet went on display – a gang of five men came screeching into the grounds of Winston Churchill’s birthplace in two stolen cars.
Extraordinary CCTV captured the unfolding raid as the gang smashed their way through a window with sledgehammers and crowbars and emerged just minutes later with the golden toilet.
The toilet is seen being rolled towards one of the waiting vehicles, which sags visibly as its weight is loaded into the boot, before both cars sped away.
Jones worked for Sheen’s construction company and was caught on camera carrying out an amateurish reconnaissance of Blenheim Palace on two occasions, including the day before the burglary.
He took pictures of the window which was later used by the gang to smash into the palace, as well as pictures of the golden toilet and the lock on the door of the cubicle.
Giving evidence, he told the court he had used the toilet during his visit, which was on display for visitors to use, and described the experience as ‘splendid’.
Jones was remanded in custody after the verdict was returned at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday afternoon.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
