Four men charged over the theft of a 4.8 million gold toilet from Blenheim Palace appear in court

Four men charged over the theft of a £4.8million gold toilet from Blenheim Palace have appeared in court. 

The men were charged earlier this month after the 18-carat solid gold toilet, designed as part of an exhibition by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, vanished overnight following a raid on Winston Churchill's birth place on September 14, 2019. 

James Sheen, 35, of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, and Michael Jones, 38, from Oxford, are both accused of burgling the installation. Sheen is also charged with transferring criminal property. 

Sheen, Fred Doe, 35, of Ascot, Berskshire, and Bora Guccuk, 39, from west London, are all charged with one count of conspiracy to transfer criminal property. 

All four defendants have been granted unconditional bail at Oxford Magistrates' Court and are set to appear at Oxford Crown Court on January 4. 

Court artist sketch of (left to right) Michael Jones, Fred Doe and Bora Guccuk

Four men have been appeared in court over the theft of a £4.8million 18-carat solid gold toilet stolen in a raid on Blenheim Palace four years ago

The toilet, designed as part of an exhibition by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, disappeared from the stately home on September 14 2019

Michael Jones leaves Oxford Magistrates' Court

Bora Guccuk leaves Oxford Magistrates' Court

The statement toilet - dubbed 'America' by its artist -  was fitted in at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2016 and 100,000 people queued to use it.

It was then moved to Blenheim, into a chamber opposite the room where Winston Churchill was born for Cattelan's first solo UK show in more than 20 years. 

Speaking at the time of the theft, artist Cattelan said he hoped the theft was a prank and asked 'who's so stupid to steal a toilet? [The work titled] America was the one per cent for the 99 per cent'. 

Meanwhile the palace's chief executive Dominic Hare said he hoped the 'pointless' theft would 'immortalise' the work before defending the stately homes 'sophisticated security system'.

The boss added that it was 'deeply ironic' that a work 'portraying the American Dream' and the elite object made available to all was 'instantly snatched away and hidden from view'.

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