UK: CCTV captures dramatic theft of £4.8 Million gold toilet at Blenheim Palace (Video)

Surveillance footage has revealed the dramatic theft of a £4.8 million, 18-carat gold toilet from Blenheim Palace in the UK, with thieves executing a five-minute raid in the early hours of September 14, 2019.

The footage presented to jurors shows a stolen Isuzu truck speeding across the palace lawn, stopping at the steps leading to the entrance. A second stolen vehicle, a VW Golf, pulls up alongside. At 4:50 am, three men emerge—two wielding sledgehammers—while two drivers remain inside the vehicles.

Credit: Telegraph UK

Though the break-in is not visible on the footage, Oxford Crown Court heard how the gang smashed a window to enter the palace. “They knew precisely where to go, broke down the wooden door to the cubicle where the lavatory was fully plumbed in, removed it, leaving water pouring out of the pipes,” said Prosecutor Julian Christopher KC.

At 4:53 am, the suspects are seen rolling the golden toilet out of the building, struggling under its 98kg weight. They force the item into the VW Golf, causing its suspension to sag. One thief is also spotted carrying the golden lavatory seat, which is tossed into the car before the group speeds away.

Security guards, watching via CCTV, chased on foot but were unable to stop the escape.

The artwork, titled “America” by Maurizio Cattelan, had been installed just days before. Three men—Michael Jones, Frederick Sines (alias Frederick Doe), and Bora Guccuk—have appeared in court in connection with the theft. They deny all charges.