One of the thieves of a golden toilet from an art exhibition admitted his guilt (8 photos)

In England, a trial is underway regarding the theft of a valuable art object - a toilet made of 18-karat gold weighing about 100 kg and worth about $6 million. It was stolen in the fall of 2019 from Blenheim Palace, where an exhibition by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan entitled “America” was taking place. The golden toilet was intended to represent the American dream.





This piece by Maurizio Cattelan created a lot of buzz back in 2016 when it was installed at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The toilet was connected to the sewer and visitors were given the opportunity to use it - however, by appointment and strictly within three minutes. 100 thousand people took advantage of this right.



And three years later, at Blenheim Palace in the UK they decided to organize a personal exhibition of Cattelan - and transported the golden toilet there. It was also connected to the sewer, so no one could even imagine that it would be stolen.





However, it happened. All that was left of the toilet was a hole in the floor, and no one even noticed the intruders.

After the daring robbery, everyone was stunned. Maurizio Cattelan initially thought it was some kind of prank. He couldn't believe that someone would be "stupid enough to steal a toilet."

And Blenheim Palace chief executive Dominic Hare said he hoped the "senseless theft" would immortalize the work. And he added that there is a deep irony of fate in this: a work depicting the “American dream” and an elite object available to everyone is “stolen with lightning speed and hidden from prying eyes.”



As a result of a lengthy police investigation, four men were charged with the theft of an art object.

One of them, James Sheen (39 years old), pleaded guilty at a hearing on April 2. The other three - Michael Jones (38), Frederick Dawes (35) and Bora Gugguk (40) - refused to do so.



James Sheen, the Golden Toilet Thief

James Sheen pleaded guilty to burglary, transfer of criminal property and criminal conspiracy. He spoke via video link from Five Wells prison in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, where he is already serving a 17-year sentence for a string of thefts, including from ATMs. Wellingborough-born Sheen also previously stole £400,000 worth of tractors and valuable trophies from the National Museum of Horseracing in Newmarket.

The remaining three are still at large.



Michael Jones, Frederick Dawes and Bora Gukkoek. Refused to admit guilt

Michael Jones (pictured leaving Oxford Magistrates' Court in November) charged with burglary



Bora Goekkoek (pictured, leaving Oxford Magistrates' Court in November) is charged with conspiracy to transfer criminal property, as is Frederick Dawes



All three will appear in court on February 24, 2025.