London – A man who tried to help a thief to the theft of a Gold Bathroom Valued at 4.74 million pounds ($ 6.4 million) was saved from jail on Monday after a British judge said the thieves had taken advantage of it.
Frederick Doe, 37, also known as Frederick Sines, received a sentence suspended in Oxford Crown Court for his role in helping to sell the 18 carat gold toilet that worked fully that it was taken in 2019 from the Blenheim Palace, the country’s mansion where the British leader of Wartime Churchill was born.
“Those responsible for this bold robbery could see five people in CCTV, clearly had the intention of getting rid of their profits well obtained quickly,” Judge Ian Pringle said to Doe. “Foil you agreed to help.”
The bathroom was part of a satirical art installation, entitled “América”, by the Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, whose work of a Banana dipth engraved on a wall It was sold in 2024 for $ 6.2 million in an auction in New York.
The toilet weighed just over 215 pounds (98 kilograms). The value of gold at that time was 2.8 million pounds and was secured for 4.74 million pounds.
The piece that made fun of excessive wealth had previously been exhibit at the Guggenheim museum, In New York, which had He offered the work to the president of the United States, Donald Trump During his first mandate in office after having requested a painting by Van Gogh.
The theft of the bathroom, which has never been recovered and is believed to be cut and sold, caused considerable damage to the property of the 18th century, a Unesco world heritage site full of valuable art and furniture that attracts thousands of visitors every year.
From the group that broke a window to enter the palace before dawn on September 14, 2019, only two have been accused and convicted.
James Sheen, 40, previously declared himself guilty of theft, conspiracy and transfer of criminal properties. Michael Jones, 39, was convicted of theft in the trial where Doe was convicted. Sheen and Jones will be sentenced on June 13.
Doe hit his fist in the air as he left the court, saying that he was a good person who “was trapped in something he shouldn’t have.”
The judge said Sheen approached Doe because he had contacts in the London jewelry district.
In a WhatsApp message, Doe told Sheen that he could “sell gold in a second.” Doe said he had no idea that gold was looted and that he would not have sold stolen gold “in a million years.”
Doe, who was convicted of conspiracy to transfer criminal properties, received a suspended period of two years and was ordered to perform 240 hours of unpaid work.
“You agreed to help Mr. Sheen without any hope or expectation of a reward for you,” said the judge. “Without a doubt, during the last five and a half years, he regrets (that) for James Sheen every day from his arrest.”
