Men charged for stealing a golden toilet

Four men are facing charges in connection with the theft of an 18-carat golden toilet from Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, southern England. The fully functioning toilet, named “America,” was stolen from the palace, home to Winston Churchill and the Dukes of Marlborough, in September 2019.

The shining attraction was on display during an exhibition by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and was valued at £4.8m ($5.9m). Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the golden toilet was one of its star attractions. British police claimed that the golden toilet was ripped from its plumbing and stolen during closing time, causing much damage and flooding.

Men charged for the theft of a golden toilet

The Crown Prosecution Service has filed charges against James Sheen, aged 39, for one count of burglary, one count of conspiracy to transfer criminal property, and a further charge of transferring criminal property. Michael Jones, aged 38, is facing a charge of burglary, while Fred Doe, aged 35, and Bora Guccuk, aged 39, are both facing a conspiracy to transfer criminal property charge. The four men are all set to appear in court in Oxford on November 28.

For more than a year, visitors were able to book time slots to use the luxurious convenience for three minutes, limiting queues and discomfort. More than 100,000 people used the Golden Toilet during its showing at New York’s Guggenheim Museum.

It is not the first time that Mr. Cattelan’s artwork has hit the news. One of his pieces, an overripe banana taped to a wall with duct tape, sold for $120,000 at a Florida art show. Individuals clamored to take pictures with the ripe banana, which later became somewhat of a security issue.

Art is a subjective thing and someone’s art could be someone’s else treasure. Thankfully the men behind the theft were caught, though whether the golden toilet would be returned to the palace remains unclear.