A man has admitted to stealing a solid gold toilet valued at over $6 million from Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, in England.
James Sheen, 39, pleaded guilty to burglary, converting or transferring criminal property, and conspiracy to commit the same at Oxford Crown Court.
The stolen toilet, part of an exhibition by artist Maurizio Cattelan titled “Victory is Not an Option,” was taken just days after the exhibition opened in 2019, causing significant damage and flooding due to its plumbing.
Sheen appeared in court via video link from Five Wells Prison, where he is serving a 17-year sentence for various thefts, including stealing tractors and high-value trophies from the National Horse Racing Museum in Newmarket.
The stolen artwork, known as “America,” was first displayed at the Guggenheim in New York City in 2016 and gained attention again in 2017 when the White House requested to borrow a different artwork but was offered the gold toilet instead.
At Blenheim Palace, the gold toilet was installed near Churchill’s birthplace and was intended to provoke discussions on social, political, and economic disparities.
Cattelan described the artwork as a commentary on consumerism, stating that regardless of one’s wealth, everyone ends up using the same toilet.
Three other men charged in connection with the theft have pleaded not guilty and are set to stand trial in February next year.
Source-CNN
