The inside story of Blenheim's gold toilet heist
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjev7vn4qp0o
In the early hours of 14 September 2019, Eleanor Paice jolted awake to the sound of smashing glass.
Living in a staff flat above Blenheim Palace, the guest services supervisor was used to strange noises.But when fire alarms began to blare, she knew something was wrong.
She quickly began evacuating to the great courtyard. But unbeknown to her, she was running straight into the final moments of an audacious heist.
Five men had smashed their way into the palace, ripped out a £4.8m solid gold toilet and fled in a stolen Volkswagen Golf.
The working loo, entitled America, had been on display for just two days at the 18th Century stately home, plumbed in as part of an exhibition by the Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan.
Now, more than five years on, a total of three men have been convicted in connection to the heist.
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgeg39vr3j3o
Two men have been jailed for stealing a £4.8m gold toilet from from an art exhibition at Blenheim Palace.
Thieves smashed their way in and ripped out the functional 18-carat, solid gold toilet hours after a glamorous launch party at the Oxfordshire stately home in September 2019.
James 'Jimmy' Sheen, 40, pleaded guilty to burglary, transferring criminal property and conspiracy to do the same in 2024, while Michael Jones, 39, was found guilty of burglary in March.
The men, from Oxford, were sentenced to four years and two years and three months in prison respectively.
