Four individuals have been charged in relation to the audacious theft of an 18-karat gold toilet from Blenheim Palace, the iconic birthplace of Winston Churchill. The opulent lavatory, an artwork titled “America” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, had been the centerpiece of an art exhibition at the Oxfordshire estate.
The Crown Prosecution Service of Britain disclosed on Monday that charges have been laid against James Sheen, Michael Jones, Fred Doe, and Bora Guccuk. Sheen faces accusations of burglary and transferring criminal property, whereas Jones is charged with burglary. Doe and Guccuk have been charged with conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
The quartet is due to appear before a court in Oxford on November 28th, initiating what may be a protracted legal process amidst a backlog in Britain’s judicial system.
This luxurious commode, worth approximately £4.8 million ($5.9 million), became an internet phenomenon during its 2016 stint at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. However, its journey came to an abrupt halt when it was ripped from its setting at Blenheim Palace in 2019, resulting in a minor flood due to the overnight burglary.
Maurizio Cattelan humorously remarked on the theft, initially mistaking it for a prank. The irony of the toilet being made of gold had momentarily slipped his mind. Cattelan later revealed that the stolen piece was one of three golden toilets he had created.