James “Jimmy” Sheen, a 39-year-old resident of Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, has pleaded guilty to charges of burglary related to the theft of a solid gold toilet valued at ₹50 crore from Blenheim Palace. The palace, located in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, is renowned for its historical significance, being the birthplace of former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The stolen lavatory, named ‘America’ and crafted by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was part of an art exhibition held at Blenheim Palace in September 2019. Constructed from 18-carat gold, the toilet was fully functional and valued at an astonishing £4.8 million.
Sheen’s guilty plea also includes charges of handling stolen goods and conspiracy to commit burglary, as confirmed during proceedings at Oxford Crown Court. The theft of the golden toilet caused substantial damage to the 18th-century palace due to flooding resulting from the removal of the plumbing fixtures.
Notably, Sheen is already serving a 17-year prison sentence for various thefts, including the theft of tractors and trophies valued at £400,000 from the National Horse Racing Museum. Three other individuals implicated in the Golden Toilet heist have denied charges and are scheduled to stand trial in February 2025.
While this incident has garnered significant attention, it is not the first time a gold toilet has made headlines. In 2019, a jeweller in Hong Kong unveiled a diamond-studded gold toilet at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. Priced at a staggering $1.3 million, the luxurious toilet featured a toilet seat made of bulletproof glass adorned with over 40,000 small diamonds, further emphasizing the extravagant nature of such commodities.