The trial of the three men, Michael Jones (39), Fred Doe (36) and Bora Guccuk (41 years old) accused of having stolen gold toilets designed by Maurizio Cattelan is currently taking place in Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Michael Jones was found guilty of participating in the flight, Fred Doe as having played a key role in the resale of gold from the melted toilets. Bora Guccuck was acquitted.
James Sheen, the group’s leader, had already pleaded guilty in 2024, after fragments of gold were found in his clothes, as well as his DNA at crime. According to the Bbche had already been incarcerated six times since 2005 for criminal activities.
The case dates back to 2019. The artist Maurizio Cattelan, king of provocation, had installed a work in the Bleinheim (Oxfordshire) in the palace of Bleinheim (Oxfordshire) America : gold toilets (functional), worth around 5 million euros. During the night of September 13 to 14, 2019, five men, including James Sheen and Michael Jones who had taken photos beforehand to prepare the flight, forced the wooden doors of the palace before entering a window. They then took the golden throne, causing considerable damage to the palace dating from the 18th century and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage.
James Sheen and Fred Doe had proposed gold to the Bora Guccuck jeweler who ignored that he had been stolen, hence his acquittal. The sale never took place but James Sheen admitted to having sold part of gold within two weeks of the flight. A photo found by the police on his phone showed a bag filled with cash, sent to WhatsApp. Gold has never been found.
Fred Doe will know his sentence on May 19. James Sheen and Michael Jones will know them later.
