Golden toilet from Churchill's birthplace stolen - perpetrator arrested!

Golden toilet from Churchill's birthplace stolen - perpetrator arrested!

In a spectacular case of art and crimes, two British were convicted of the theft of an 18-carat gold toilet. The artwork called "America" ​​comes from the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and was estimated at an insurance value of £ 4.75 million (approx. 5.64 million euros). The theft occurred in September 2019 in Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Visitors were able to use the toilet, but they were limited to a maximum of three minutes to experience this extraordinary work. What started as a cultural Highlight ended abruptly in a big scandal.

The two perpetrators, James Sheen, 40, and Michael Jones, 39, were recently convicted. Sheen received a punishment of four years, while Jones came behind grids for two years and three months. The investigation showed that the theft took less than six minutes, with sheen separating the toilet from the pipes with a shelter. Despite the massive expenditure on the part of the police, the toilet has not yet appeared again. Investigators suspect that it was probably disintegrated or melted down. The toilet weighed over 215 pounds (98 kg) and represented one of the most expensive installations in a museum.

intensive preparations and references to sales

The burglars had prepared themselves thoroughly: Jones visited the Guggenheim Museum in New York twice before the theft to take photos and check security measures. A slanter left behind at the crime scene contained Sheens DNA, and his sweatpants were found gold fragments that came from the toilet. Sheen also sent a striking picture of £ 520,000 in cash to a relative, which caused the investigators to assume that part of the gold could have already been sold. Immediately after the Burglary, another accomplice, Frederick Doe, has received an excessive punishment that is connected to the sale of the gold.

The toilet was part of Catteland’s provocative artistic work. The artist, known for his satirical works, often reflects our society and the created good, such as a banana that was auctioned in 2024 for $ 6.2 million. "America" ​​was not only an impressive work of art, but also a request for reflection on dealing with wealth and human needs. In an interview, Cattelan expresses that the world will end in flames and that the best of his works should still come. These and similar statements create a deep context for what his works of art represent.

Overall, the gold toilet remains a symbol of the ongoing and often chaotic relationship between art, money and human nature. The case continues to be observed while the authorities work hard to fully clarify the circumstances and background of the theft. It is to be hoped that "America" ​​will come back to light one day.

For more information on this extraordinary case, visit the reporting of Krone , the details are provided by the drama about the gold toilet, and the research of AP News , which offers deeper insight into the background of the theft. The artistic vision of Maurizio Cattelan and its philosophical reflections can be found in an in-depth interview on purple .