Man guilty over £4.8m gold toilet heist

A man has been found guilty over the theft of a £4.8m gold toilet from an art exhibition at Blenheim Palace.

Thieves smashed their way in and ripped out the fully functional toilet, hours after a glamorous launch party at the Oxfordshire stately home in September 2019.

Michael Jones was convicted of planning the burglary. The jury are still considering verdicts for Fred Doe and Bora Guccuk who are charged with conspiring to sell the gold.

The heist's kingpin James Sheen previously admitted being part of the gang that stole the toilet.

Thieves stole the artwork in a raid that took just five minutes, Oxford Crown Court previously heard.

It weighed 98kg (216lbs) and was insured for $6m (£4.8m).

Gold prices at the time would have seen the metal alone worth £2.8m, the court was told.

The artwork, called America, was part of an exhibition by the Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan.

Jurors heard it was most likely broken up, and has never been recovered.

Jones, 39, from Oxford, was found guilty of burglary.

The jury has been given a majority direction on Mr Doe, 36, from Windsor, and Mr Guccuk, 41, from west London, who are both accused of conspiracy to transfer criminal property.