Article: published on 25 February 2025

CCTV footage showing the moment thieves stole a solid gold toilet worth £4.8m has been shown in court.

The work of art, called America, was taken from Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire in the early hours of Saturday, 14 September 2019.

Michael Jones, 39, from Oxford, denies one count of burglary. Fred Doe, 36, from Windsor and 41-year-old Bora Guccuk, from west London, both deny conspiring to transfer criminal property.

The footage played at their trial at Oxford Crown Court showed two vehicles driving across the Great Courtyard, before hooded individuals armed with sledgehammers and a large crowbar broke into the palace. One could be seen leaving carrying a golden toilet seat.

The CCTV footage shown in court captured two cars driving across the courtyard which had been covered in union flags as part of the exhibition.

Five minutes later, the raiders can be seen rolling the gold toilet away from the building, before bundling it into the back of a blue VW Golf causing the car's suspension to sag under the 98kg weight.

One of the group can be seen clutching the golden toilet seat, which is also thrown into the back of the car.

Prosecution barrister Julian Christopher KC said it showed "three people standing-up" and "a driver for each car".

Palace security guards, who had been watching on CCTV, chased on foot as the two cars sped away from the scene, Oxford Crown Court was told.

The 18-carat gold toilet was part of an exhibition at the palace by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan.

The fully functioning lavatory was insured for the sum of $6m (£4.8m), the court heard previously.

The jury was also shown CCTV footage of Mr Jones and his partner on a visit to Blenheim Palace on the day before the burglary.

The court heard the pair had booked tickets to view the toilet in its cubicle.

The jury was shown photographs which the prosecution said were taken on Mr Jones' phone at that time of the toilet in situ, of the inside of the toilet door and of the window the thieves would later use to gain entry to the palace.

The thieves drove through locked gates into the grounds before breaking in through a window, jurors were told.

"They knew precisely where to go, broke down the wooden door to the cubicle where the toilet was fully plumbed in, removed it, leaving water pouring out of the pipes, and drove away," prosecutor Julian Christopher KC said previously.

"Clearly such an audacious raid would not have been possible without lots of preparation", he added.

The court was previously also told the toilet was believed to have been broken up after it was stolen.

A fourth man, James Sheen, a 40 year-old from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, has previously pleaded guilty to burglary, the court was told earlier in the trial.

The jury was played a series of voice note messages between Mr Sheen and Mr Doe sent within days of the September 2019 raid.

In one, Mr Sheen tells Mr Doe he had "20 cars" which the prosecution suggested was a reference to 20kg of the gold.

In another message Mr Sheen said he wanted "26" for each car, "not a penny less".

The prosecution claimed a combination of messages, calls, voice messages and mobile phone data show Mr Sheen and Mr Doe travelled to Hatton Garden in London to meet Mr Guccuk.

The palace, near Woodstock, is a Unesco World Heritage Site and was the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

The trial continues.

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