Son of caravan tycoon sentenced for helping launder proceeds of bizarre heist
A man who played a role in the theft of a £4.75 million 18-carat gold toilet from Blenheim Palace has been spared jail.
Frederick Doe, 36, from Ascot, Berkshire, was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for two years, after being found guilty of conspiracy to transfer criminal property. He was also ordered to complete 240 hours of unpaid work.
CCTV footage captured a gang of masked men smashing their way into the Oxfordshire stately home in the early hours of 14 September 2019. They used crowbars and sledgehammers to remove the solid gold toilet, which had been installed as part of an art exhibition.
Used for its ‘facilities’ just a day earlier
Michael Jones, 39, was convicted of planning the audacious heist and reportedly used the golden toilet the day before the raid. When asked about the experience, he described it as “splendid”.
Doe, the son of caravan park magnate Maurice ‘Fred’ Sines – who has links to the Irish Kinahan organised crime group – was later approached by James Sheen, one of the burglars, to help sell the stolen gold. The court heard Doe was targeted due to his legitimate connections in the Hatton Garden jewellery trade.
‘Good person’ or naive middleman?
Speaking outside court, Doe said: “My good nature has been taken advantage of. I got caught up in something I should not have.” Friends cheered him as he left court, claiming he was a “good person” and would now go for a celebratory drink.
Judge Ian Pringle KC described Doe as having a “limited function” in the plot, receiving no financial gain and being involved for only a short time. He dismissed the prosecution’s claim that Doe was a key player.
Luxury gone missing
The stolen toilet, created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was a fully functional exhibit. Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, had featured it as part of a high-profile art installation.
Police have never recovered the toilet and believe three suspects involved in the burglary remain at large. Sheen claimed to have earned £520,000 from selling his share of the gold to a jeweller in Birmingham. He and Jones are due to be sentenced in June.
The fate of the iconic toilet – once dubbed “America” – remains unknown.
