Two men were convicted of the theft of a golden toilet of £ 4.8 million, in a dramatic five -minute raid in Blenheim Palace.
Michael Jones, 39, was found guilty of burglary, while Fred Doe, 36, was convicted of trying to sell the stolen gold after a trial to the Oxford Crown Court.
They are confronted with the prospect of years behind bars alongside James Sheen, 40, who argue guilty for burglary during an earlier hearing.
A fourth suspect, Bora Guccuk, 41, was not found guilty of converting or transferring criminal property
The police are now confronted with questions about their failures to find one of the stolen gold, the precious meters that have bought it, or the other three burglars, despite an investigation of five years.
The 18-carat golden toilet was a work of art called 'America' by satirist Maurizio Cattelan and had arrived in Blenheim in Blenheim Palace in Blenheim.
But in the early hours of September 14 – only two days after the toilet was shown – a gang of five men screamed on the grounds of the birthplace of Winston Churchill in two stolen cars.
Extraordinary CCTV conquered the unfolding raid when three of the men took their way through a window with front hammers and crow and appeared a few minutes later with the golden toilet.
Michael Jones, 39, (depicted outside Oxford Crown Court) was found guilty of burglary
Fred Doe (photo) was convicted of trying to sell the stolen gold, after a trial to the crown court of Oxford
James Sheen (photo), previously admitted that he stealed an 18-carat golden toilet
The solid 18-carat golden toilet stolen from Blenheim Palace during the overnight
The toilet is seen that is rolled to one of the waiting vehicles, which visibly sinks when the weight is loaded into the boot before both cars walked away.
The police said yesterday that they believe that “the toilet was taken to several locations within a few hours after the stolen was and was then sold.” A trail has never been restored.
Sheen, who argued guilty for burglary in April last year, created in a message to Doe that he had made £ 520,000 by selling his part of the gold to a non -created jeweler in Birmingham.
His message was accompanied by a photo with a large pile of money.
Jones worked for Sheen's construction company and was caught on the camera with an amateurist exploration of Blenheim Palace, including the day before the burglary.
He took photos of the window that was later used by the gang to hit the palace, as well as photos of the Golden Toilet and the lock on the door of the cupboard.
CCTV shows one of the Raiders who holds a golden toilet brake during the five -minute robbery in September 2019
The toilet (photo) was taken in September 2019, while it was part of an art installation entitled 'America'
The exhibition enabled visitors to look at and even sit on the statement toilet, which was designed by artist Maurizio Cattelan and left in the palace, near the room where Winston Churchill was born (depicted: the empty space that was left after the toilet was taken)
Bora Guccuk (depicted outside Oxford Crown Court) was acquitted to try to wash the stolen gold
He gave evidence and told the court that he had used the toilet during his visit and described the experience as 'beautiful'.
Prosecutors claimed that he was also part of the burglar gang that night.
Doe became involved in the conspiracy when he heard Sheen – whom he knew through the traveler community – the toilet had grown and offered to use his extensive contacts in Hatton Garden to sell the stolen gold.
Previously known as Fred Sines, Doe is the son of multi -millionaire Caravan Magnaat Maurice 'Fred' Sines – who is accused by Irish authorities of an ally of the notorious Kinahan -organized crime clan.
Within a few hours after the burglary, DIET contacted Guccuk, who ran a jewelry store called Pacha of London in Hatton Garden, and made an attempt to sell Sheens share in gold.
Officers of Justice have accepted that it is unclear whether this sale continued or eventually continued, given the later message from Sheen to Doe suggests that he has sold the gold in Birmingham's Jwyy Quarter.
Questions are set up for the police about their failures to tie the three other members of the burglar gang, even though a man is heavily connected to the burglary during the process.
A person in court mentioned as Carl Davies would be the first person to contact Doe about the stolen gold and he later went to Birmingham with Sheen when he sold his share.
Jones carried out exploration for the robbery, had regular contact with one of the leaders and took photos of the toilet on his phone (photo)
The front hammer-swinging gang was caught on CCTV (photo) that rolled the toilet out of the beaten window and in the boot of a waiting car before you grab away
Jones carried out a 'carefully planned exploration' for the robbery
The toilet, which weighed 98 kg, was completely monitored, was grown in a dramatic five -minute raid on Blenheim Palace (photo) shortly before 5 hours on September 14, 2019.
He also lived in a caravan park where the data from the mobile sites Sheen's telephone placed only a few minutes after the burglary.
“Carl Davies seems to be here in his neck,” Crispin Aylett KC, who represents Doe, told the court.
'At least there is indications that his phone is going to Birmingham. Why isn't he in the dock? '
Mr. Aylett said that it was 'a somewhat unsatisfactory state of affairs' that the other burglars had 'filled their boots', while the police were unable to 'rinse them out'.
None of the Golden Bullion traders who bought the stolen gold has been loaded and the ultimate fate of gold remains a mystery.
While a jury of eight women and four men concluded that Doe must have known that the gold had been stolen, they acquitted Guccuk.
The police had found many ballot papers and messages between Doe and Sheen, but little had been sent by Guccuk, indicating that he had some knowledge that the gold was stolen.
His lawyer Kevin Dent KC said in his last speech: 'It is also not the question whether Mr Guccuk was very likely or even very likely thought that the gold was stolen.
'The question for you is: Mr Guccuk knew that the gold represented the proceeds of crime. Nothing else will do it. In the context of this case you may think that this is a very difficult test for the persecution to meet each other. '
The gang, armed with front hammers and crossbars, bundles the £ 4.8 million toilet in the back of a car
One of the thieves who wear the gold the 18-carat golden toilet seat (photo)
Jones visited the palace a few days before the exhibition arrived and took photos of the site, and took photos of the toilet itself.
Court Artist Sketch from (from left to right) Michael Jones, Fred Doe and Bora Guccuk
The Thames Valley police have sworn to try to claw back some of the unlawful profit of the gang by the proceeds from the Crime Act proceeds after the first convictions were protected.
The armed forces said that it carried out a 'complex investigation' that led to 'multiple arrests' in addition to the four defendants, but 'there was not sufficient evidence to make further charges'.
A spokesperson said: 'With regard to the burglary in Blenheim Palace, a corresponding financial investigation is underway, but the monetary details of this will only be realized if the defendants are convicted and convicted. We will continue to explore every opportunity, together with our partners, to restore assets from those connected to this research and their crime.
'Additional financial investigations are actively underway with our partners for a considerable amount in assets with regard to other crime linked to James Sheen.
'It is our conviction that the toilet was taken to several locations within a few hours after stealing, was melted down and then sold by different routes. This makes the gold very difficult to trace.
“If information comes to light, we will act accordingly.”
Doe is convicted on May 19, while Sheen and Jones are convicted at a later date.
Shan Saunders of the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'This was a daring invasion that was carefully planned and carried out – but those responsible were not careful enough, so that a trail of evidence was left in the form of forensic research, CCTV images and telephone data.
'It has been a complex matter to prosecute, with a national investigation with many lines of research to identify those who were subsequently charged with regard to the theft.
“Although none of the gold has ever been found – undoubtedly demolished or melted and sold shortly after it was stolen – we were convinced that this persecution played a role in disturbing broader crime and money laundering.”
