Three robbers convicted of stealing a gold toilet worth 4.8 million pounds from the Duke of Marlborough's estate (8 photos + 1 video)
Category: Interesting photo stories, PEGI 0+
22 March 2025
Three men have been convicted of stealing a gold toilet from Blenheim Palace in Britain. The investigation lasted five years, but the police were unable to find the "work of art" worth £4.8 million. 
A high-profile robbery took place in September 2019. The thieves stole a toilet - a sculpture called "America" by satirist Maurizio Cattelan, installed in Blenheim Palace for visitors to an art exhibition.
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Just two days after the opening of an art installation, a gang of five men broke into the grounds of the palace where British politician Winston Churchill was born. CCTV footage shows the three men using sledgehammers and crowbars to enter the building through a window, and minutes later they emerged with a toilet in their hands.
Fred Dawe
Fred Dawe, 36, and Michael Jones, 39, have been found guilty of stealing an 18-carat gold toilet in September 2019. The mastermind behind the crime, James Sheen, 40, has confirmed his involvement.
At yesterday's court, police said the men had spent several hours sawing up the toilet, melting it down and selling it.
In Dawe's post, accompanied by a photo of him holding a wad of cash, Sheen boasted that he had made £520,000 by selling his share of the gold to a Birmingham jeweller.
The thief has been behind bars since 2022, serving a 17-year sentence for a string of robberies. His crimes include the robbery of the National Racing Museum in Newmarket, Suffolk, where his gang stole the £75,000 Ascot Vase and other valuable trophies.
Jones worked for Sheen's construction company. He was caught on camera exploring Blenheim Palace on two occasions, including the day before the robbery. He took photographs of the window that the gang later used to break into the palace. He also took pictures of the gold toilet and the lock on the toilet door.
Dow knew Sheen and joined the gang after the robbery, offering his extensive contacts to help sell the stolen gold.
Michael Jones
During his trial, father-of-four Doe tried to portray himself as a respectable family man. What the jury didn't know, however, was that the defendant's father, multimillionaire apartment complex owner Fred Doe Snr, is linked to the Kinahan cartel, one of the world's most dangerous crime syndicates.
James Sheen
Mr Dawe said his son could have been targeted because of his surname and his Gypsy roots.
"This whole [toilet case] is about me," Dawe senior, 63, told the Mail as he awaited the court's decision.
He said the police were believing things that didn't exist: "We're honest, law-abiding businessmen, but to hear some of the stories... I've been compared to Al Capone."
"My son would help anyone. "He has a heart of gold," Dawe Sr. paused and added with a grin, "No, you shouldn't say 'golden.'"
Fred Dawe Sr.
Mr. Dawe Sr., who came from a poor family, bought his first mobile home park in his youth. Today, he owns a fortune estimated in the tens of millions. The Briton gives generously to charity and claims that his life is governed by a strict moral code based on honesty, hard work and family values.
There are worrying moments, though.
In 2011, the businessman was banned from the British Horseracing Authority for 14 years over his alleged involvement in one of the biggest betting scams ever, and his company, Sines Park Homes Group, was fined for threatening tenants.
But the most serious allegations relate to the relationship between Dawe senior and the Kinahans, according to evidence presented to the Irish High Court by the Crime and Abuse Bureau (CAB). He is said to be particularly close to senior gang member Liam Byrne, with whom he was photographed on holiday.
But Doe shrugs off the accusations: "Being friends with someone is not a crime, is it? Is there anything wrong with being friends, going on holiday together, playing golf or having a drink? Okay, I'm going to Dublin for a christening, I'm taking a Rolls-Royce, a Range Rover and a Mercedes because I need cars... And suddenly I'm, they [the cartel] are 'up to something'."
Whatever the sins of the father, they certainly should not be cast on the son. And until yesterday's sentencing, Doe Jr had no criminal record.
