The thieves of a golden toilet worth $6 million are on trial in Britain
25 February 2025 22:16
A trial has begun in the UK over the theft of an 18-carat gold toilet from Blenheim Palace in September 2019.
This was reported by the Associated Press, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The golden toilet, called America, was created by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan as a satire on excessive wealth. The product weighs more than 98 kg. It was insured for $6 million. The value of the gold itself at the time of the theft was $3.5 million.
Previously, the toilet was exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and during Donald Trump’s first term in office, the museum even offered to give him this work of art instead of a Van Gogh painting requested by the White House.
According to prosecutor Julian Christopher, who is handling the case, the theft was a “brazen heist” that lasted only 5 minutes. One of the three defendants was directly involved in the theft, while the other two helped sell the loot.
Currently, all three men who could be involved in this case deny their guilt.
One of the suspects, Michael Jones, visited Blenheim Palace twice before the crime. First, before the exhibit was installed, and second, after it had been installed. He also took pictures of the window through which the criminals later broke in.
On the night of the theft, five robbers rammed through the wooden gates of the palace in two stolen cars, an Isuzu Truck and a VW Golf. They broke through the field, stopped at the entrance, smashed a window, and tore a golden toilet from the water supply system.
