This is the dramatic moment a gang of burglars came screeching into the grounds of Blenheim Palace in stolen cars before carrying out a £4.8million golden toilet.
CCTV filmed the ‘audacious’ raid shortly before 5am on September 14 2019, during which a gang of five men are seen using sledgehammers to break in through a window.
A few seconds earlier, a stolen Isuzu truck and VW Polo carrying the thieves had smashed through wooden gates at the perimeter of the grounds.
The gang managed to remove the toilet – which was fully plumbed in – and made good their escape after spending just five minutes in the building. The toilet has never been recovered.
Three men are on trial at Oxford Crown Court for involvement in a plot to steal the 18-carat gold toilet – an artwork titled ‘America’ – and sell the gold.
The toilet was fully functioning so visitors could use it as part of an exhibition which had opened only a day earlier. It weighed 98kg and was valued at £4.8million.
Michael Jones, 39, from Oxford, is accused of burglary, while Frederick Doe, 36, from Windsor, and Bora Guccuk, 41, from London, are charged with converting or transferring criminal property. They deny the charges.
Another alleged accomplice – James Sheen, 40, from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire – pleaded guilty to burglary at an earlier hearing.
Jurors have been shown footage of the moment a gang of burglars came screeching into the grounds of Blenheim Palace in stolen cars – moments before stealing a £4.8million golden toilet
CCTV filmed the ‘audacious’ raid shortly before 5am on September 14 2019, during which a gang of five men are seen using sledgehammers to break in through a window
Astolen Isuzu truck and VW Polo carrying the thieves had smashed through wooden gates at the perimeter of the ground before an object was seen being carried away
Extraordinary CCTV of the raid showed the gang arriving in two stolen cars at 4.49am, as they are seen hurtling towards the main entrance of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire.
The thieves were seen exiting the vehicles in duffle coats with their hoods up. An accomplice handed three of the raiders sledgehammers and crowbars and they were seen running in the direction of a window close to where the toilet was housed.
A driver remained in either car, meaning the plot involved at least five people.
Floodlights then burst into life in the courtyard after being activated by security guards who had spotted what was unfolding, which meant some of the CCTV footage was captured in full colour.
At 4.53am three people emerged from the smashed window and were seen rolling a large item towards the car, before picking it up and placing it in the vehicle’s rear.
In separate footage, one of the individuals is seen carrying what appears to be the gold toilet seat.
The gang slammed the car boot shut before both vehicles raced away.
As the cars made their escape, staff of Blenheim Palace can be seen on the CCTV running out of the building and trying to give chase.
The gang managed to remove the toilet – which was fully plumbed in – and made good their escape after spending just five minutes in the building
Floodlights burst into life in the courtyard after being activated by security guards who spotted what was unfolding, which meant some of the CCTV footage was captured in full colour
Footage showed one of the individuals is seen carrying what appears to be the gold toilet seat
The gang slammed the car boot shut before both vehicles raced away from the country home
As the cars made their escape, staff of Blenheim Palace ran out of the building and tried to give chase, the jury at Oxford Crown Court has been told
A fully-working solid-gold toilet, created by artist Maurizio Cattelan, is seen at Blenheim Palace on September 12 2019
Michael Jones (left) and Borra Guccuk (right) are pictured arriving at Oxford Crown Court on February 24 2025
Fred Doe covers up his face as he arrives at Oxford Crown Court on Monday this week
Prosecutor Julian Christopher KC previously described the brazen burglary as he opened the case on Monday.
He told the court: ‘The burglars, plainly, knew precisely where to go. They went to the wooden door of the lavatory, they had sledgehammers with them.
‘They removed the toilet, which was fully plumbed in, removed it, leaving water pouring out of the pipes, and drove away. All in all, they spent just five minutes at the building.’
The court was also shown earlier footage of a trip Jones and his wife, Carly, made to Blenheim Palace on September 7, which was five days before the exhibition began.
Prosecutors allege this was a ‘reconnaissance’ that allowed Jones to scope out the building for the burglary gang to find a point of entry to steal the toilet.
Jones, wearing shorts and a sweatshirt, was seen ambling around the grand rooms with his hands clasped behind his back, while his wife was seen occasionally stopping to take pictures.
Several hours after Jones’s visit to Blenheim Palace, Sheen – who has admitted his role in the burglary – sent him WhatsApp messages saying ‘need updated’ and ‘asap’, the court heard.
There were then two attempts to phone Jones before he sent a voice note on WhatsApp which said: ‘Lots of big men mate, on my case bruv, they want to know what’s going on.
Fred Doe’s father is seen arriving at Oxford Crown Court at the start of his son’s trial
The toilet, designed as part of an exhibition by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, disappeared from the stately home on September 14 2019
‘It’s a massive job I need to know what’s going on, the boys are waiting on my call. It’s half past three in the day mate, I need to know what’s going on.’
Jones then returned to Blenheim Palace to visit the exhibition on September 13 – just hours before the raid which took place shortly before 5am the next morning.
Photos were found on his phone taken during his visit, including of the toilet and the lock on the toilet door, the court heard.
After his visit, he had a series of phone calls with Sheen, the court heard. The trial continues.
