Men jailed for stealing golden toilet from UK mansion
The 18-carat fully functioning toilet was on display as a piece of contemporary art at Blenheim Palace - the country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born - when five burglars smashed a window and yanked it from its plumbing in a brazen early-morning raid in September 2019.
It was never recovered and was believed to have been chopped up and sold.
James Sheen, 40, a roofer who pleaded guilty to burglary, conspiracy and transferring criminal property was sentenced in Oxford Crown Court to four years in prison.
Michael Jones, 39, who worked for Sheen and was convicted of burglary at trial, was sentenced to two years and three months.
The toilet weighed 98kg and was worth more than its weight in gold, being insured for more than $US6 million ($A9.2 million).
The toilet was part of a satirical commentary on consumer culture, titled America, by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, whose work of a banana duct-taped to a wall was sold in 2024 for $US6.2 million at auction in New York.
"This bold and brazen heist took no more than five-and-a-half minutes to complete," Judge Ian Pringle said in recounting the crime on Friday.
"America has never been seen again."
The piece that poked fun at excessive wealth had previously been on display at The Guggenheim Museum, in New York, which had offered the work to US President Donald Trump during his first term in office after he had asked to borrow a Van Gogh painting.
Jones had booked a viewing of the toilet the day before the theft to take photos, check out the lock and have his own private session on the golden throne.
He deemed the experience "splendid" during his testimony.
The next morning before dawn the gang of thieves crashed through the wooden gates of the palace in two stolen vehicles and tore well-tended lawns.
They pulled up to the estate's courtyard and smashed a window that Jones had photographed the day before.
The thieves used sledgehammers and a crowbar to wrench the toilet from its foundation, causing considerable damage to the 18th-century property, a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with valuable art and furniture that draws thousands of visitors each year.
Two men who stole a golden toilet from an English mansion have been sentenced to more than two years in prison.
The 18-carat fully functioning toilet was on display as a piece of contemporary art at Blenheim Palace - the country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born - when five burglars smashed a window and yanked it from its plumbing in a brazen early-morning raid in September 2019.
It was never recovered and was believed to have been chopped up and sold.
James Sheen, 40, a roofer who pleaded guilty to burglary, conspiracy and transferring criminal property was sentenced in Oxford Crown Court to four years in prison.
Michael Jones, 39, who worked for Sheen and was convicted of burglary at trial, was sentenced to two years and three months.
The toilet weighed 98kg and was worth more than its weight in gold, being insured for more than $US6 million ($A9.2 million).
The toilet was part of a satirical commentary on consumer culture, titled America, by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, whose work of a banana duct-taped to a wall was sold in 2024 for $US6.2 million at auction in New York.
"This bold and brazen heist took no more than five-and-a-half minutes to complete," Judge Ian Pringle said in recounting the crime on Friday.
"America has never been seen again."
The piece that poked fun at excessive wealth had previously been on display at The Guggenheim Museum, in New York, which had offered the work to US President Donald Trump during his first term in office after he had asked to borrow a Van Gogh painting.
Jones had booked a viewing of the toilet the day before the theft to take photos, check out the lock and have his own private session on the golden throne.
He deemed the experience "splendid" during his testimony.
The next morning before dawn the gang of thieves crashed through the wooden gates of the palace in two stolen vehicles and tore well-tended lawns.
They pulled up to the estate's courtyard and smashed a window that Jones had photographed the day before.
The thieves used sledgehammers and a crowbar to wrench the toilet from its foundation, causing considerable damage to the 18th-century property, a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with valuable art and furniture that draws thousands of visitors each year.
Two men who stole a golden toilet from an English mansion have been sentenced to more than two years in prison.
The 18-carat fully functioning toilet was on display as a piece of contemporary art at Blenheim Palace - the country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born - when five burglars smashed a window and yanked it from its plumbing in a brazen early-morning raid in September 2019.
It was never recovered and was believed to have been chopped up and sold.
James Sheen, 40, a roofer who pleaded guilty to burglary, conspiracy and transferring criminal property was sentenced in Oxford Crown Court to four years in prison.
Michael Jones, 39, who worked for Sheen and was convicted of burglary at trial, was sentenced to two years and three months.
The toilet weighed 98kg and was worth more than its weight in gold, being insured for more than $US6 million ($A9.2 million).
The toilet was part of a satirical commentary on consumer culture, titled America, by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, whose work of a banana duct-taped to a wall was sold in 2024 for $US6.2 million at auction in New York.
"This bold and brazen heist took no more than five-and-a-half minutes to complete," Judge Ian Pringle said in recounting the crime on Friday.
"America has never been seen again."
The piece that poked fun at excessive wealth had previously been on display at The Guggenheim Museum, in New York, which had offered the work to US President Donald Trump during his first term in office after he had asked to borrow a Van Gogh painting.
Jones had booked a viewing of the toilet the day before the theft to take photos, check out the lock and have his own private session on the golden throne.
He deemed the experience "splendid" during his testimony.
The next morning before dawn the gang of thieves crashed through the wooden gates of the palace in two stolen vehicles and tore well-tended lawns.
They pulled up to the estate's courtyard and smashed a window that Jones had photographed the day before.
The thieves used sledgehammers and a crowbar to wrench the toilet from its foundation, causing considerable damage to the 18th-century property, a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with valuable art and furniture that draws thousands of visitors each year.
Two men who stole a golden toilet from an English mansion have been sentenced to more than two years in prison.
The 18-carat fully functioning toilet was on display as a piece of contemporary art at Blenheim Palace - the country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born - when five burglars smashed a window and yanked it from its plumbing in a brazen early-morning raid in September 2019.
It was never recovered and was believed to have been chopped up and sold.
James Sheen, 40, a roofer who pleaded guilty to burglary, conspiracy and transferring criminal property was sentenced in Oxford Crown Court to four years in prison.
Michael Jones, 39, who worked for Sheen and was convicted of burglary at trial, was sentenced to two years and three months.
The toilet weighed 98kg and was worth more than its weight in gold, being insured for more than $US6 million ($A9.2 million).
The toilet was part of a satirical commentary on consumer culture, titled America, by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, whose work of a banana duct-taped to a wall was sold in 2024 for $US6.2 million at auction in New York.
"This bold and brazen heist took no more than five-and-a-half minutes to complete," Judge Ian Pringle said in recounting the crime on Friday.
"America has never been seen again."
The piece that poked fun at excessive wealth had previously been on display at The Guggenheim Museum, in New York, which had offered the work to US President Donald Trump during his first term in office after he had asked to borrow a Van Gogh painting.
Jones had booked a viewing of the toilet the day before the theft to take photos, check out the lock and have his own private session on the golden throne.
He deemed the experience "splendid" during his testimony.
The next morning before dawn the gang of thieves crashed through the wooden gates of the palace in two stolen vehicles and tore well-tended lawns.
They pulled up to the estate's courtyard and smashed a window that Jones had photographed the day before.
The thieves used sledgehammers and a crowbar to wrench the toilet from its foundation, causing considerable damage to the 18th-century property, a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with valuable art and furniture that draws thousands of visitors each year.
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The Age
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Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I am done with being hard on myself': Sporty Spice Melanie Chisholm at 51
This story is part of the August 3 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories. It's the clichéd British expat dream – to take up residence at Sydney's Bondi Beach – but for one of the UK's most famous exports, Melanie Chisholm, it was a reality for several months this year. The singer formerly known as Sporty Spice, thanks to her pivotal role in '90s pop phenomenon the Spice Girls, never thought she'd call the famous stretch of coastline her second home, but a coaching gig on The Voice and an Aussie boyfriend gave her a chance to reacquaint herself with a city she's always loved. 'Bondi is the health capital of Australia, if not the world,' she says. 'And being Sporty Spice, it feels like I found my spiritual home. It's a very natural spot for me to be in.' It may be nearly three decades since the Spice Girls conquered the charts with their debut single, Wannabe, but Chisholm, 51, still proudly embodies her famous moniker. Dressed in a casual red-and-white-striped T-shirt and sport-luxe pants, she's already been on an early morning walk before her chat with Sunday Life. She's religious about her three days a week strength training but has come to accept exercise-free recovery days are important, too. 'I have been a 'go hard or go home' person for much of my life, and now trying to slow down is actually quite nice,' she says. Joining the Australian version of The Voice was a no-brainer for Chisholm, having been a coach on the UK children's iteration of the show in 2021. She was drawn to the opportunity to encourage new talent, having experienced what it's like to audition in front of a room full of strangers. 'There are many opportunities to sing on reality TV shows, but with The Voice, it's the only one that's very nurturing and is really all about the talent,' she says. 'It's the only show I am interested in being a part of.' Instead of breaking hearts and shattering dreams, Chisholm is mindful with her coaching advice. 'We always try to leave everybody with constructive criticism and give some guidance if they don't get through the competition,' she adds. A meteoric rise to pop-star status, and the inevitable challenges that follow, is a path Chisholm knows well. When the Spice Girls reached international stardom in the '90s, the shift in gears forever changed the lives of its members: Geri 'Ginger' Halliwell, Victoria 'Posh' Adams, Melanie 'Scary' Brown, Emma 'Baby' Bunton and Chisholm. Born in Lancashire, Chisholm's parents split when she was three years old. She spent most of her time with her mother, Joan, and would go on adventurous school holiday trips abroad with her dad, Alan. Her mother sang in bands, and met her new husband Dennis, a bass player at the time, at a pub in Liverpool. They married and have a son Paul. He's six years younger than Chisholm, and found his sister's fame a bit awkward when he was growing up. 'When I think back to the Spice Girls period of my life, it was more incredible than difficult,' Chisholm reflects. 'It was crazy, exhilarating, exhausting – a fairy tale and the ultimate dream when you're a kid. We were all navigating this new world we found ourselves in. 'The big moments, like being at The Brits [awards] in 1997, were a huge highlight. We'd been around the world, conquered it as we always hoped we would, and to come home and be celebrated was incredible. But being on the other side of it now gives us a new perspective.' Overnight success and the pressures that came with fame during peak Spice Girls mania saw Chisholm grapple with depression and eating disorders, revealed in her 2022 tell-all memoir, The Sporty One: My Life as a Spice Girl. 'I was reluctant to write an autobiography for many years, and the reason was that I needed to be honest and open,' she says. 'There were certain parts of my experience that were difficult for me to unzip. On reflection, it was important to do that, and to know I can be a source of comfort for people who went through similar things. That certainly felt like a good thing to do, even if it was hard. 'It's almost like closing a chapter in my life. It's acknowledging the past – the good and the bad - and looking forward to the next phase of life.' When the Spice Girls called it quits in 2000, Chisholm focused on her solo career. She's released eight albums since 1999 and is in the process of adding the final touches to an album she's been working on for the last two years with English producer Richard 'Biff' Stannard, who's written many songs for Kylie Minogue. 'My new album has been a real labour of love,' says Chisholm. 'It's uplifting and I've had a lot of fun in the dance genre. I am leaning into the club world and my sporty side, which taps into different aspects of my personality.' Chisholm has relished watching Kylie's career boom as the Aussie singer has traversed her 50s, hence her decision to team with Stannard for her own club renaissance. 'Biff helped push Kylie even further into the stratosphere – it's been amazing to see,' she says. It's clear that Chisholm is embracing what Victoria Beckham, now an internationally renowned fashion designer, refers to as 'living life from the fifth floor'. 'When I turned 50 last year, I didn't feel concerned about it too much,' says Chisholm. 'And now, a year on, I've embraced all the positive things about getting older. The physical negatives of being this age are that you wake up with more aches in the morning, but having wisdom and feeling blessed to be alive is such a gift. I am focusing on that. I spent a lot of time being hard on myself, and I'm done with that.' As the 30th anniversary looms for Spice, the band's 1996 debut album, so does the talk of a reunion. The album sold more than 23 million copies worldwide and Wannabe reached No.1 in 37 countries, so the pressure is on to mark the occasion. The band has reunited several times in recent years, including for the closing ceremony at the 2012 London Olympics. And in 2019 there was a tour of the UK and Ireland, though without Victoria Beckham due to her fashion commitments. The five members discuss band matters regularly via a private WhatsApp group, figuring what might be possible for the milestone. 'And there are subgroups within the group,' says Chisholm, laughing. 'I definitely know there is a chat group that doesn't contain me, but somewhere else we keep Ginger or Posh out. Like all friendship groups, we have many ways of communicating.' Chisholm is reunion-ready, still holding onto some of those iconic outfits from the '90s in her mother's attic. 'I wish I had kept more, but I am not a hoarder,' she says. Loading There's also talk of a fashion collaboration next year, but for now she's focusing on new music and leaning into the pleasure of finding love again. 'I have enjoyed getting to know my boyfriend's family and friends – it feels like an extended family to me,' she says. Her Australian boyfriend, Bondi-based model and filmmaker Chris Dingwall, is also giving her a new perspective. (Chisholm has a 16-year-old daughter, Scarlett, with a previous partner, property developer Thomas Starr; they split in 2012.) It took meeting Dingwall, and spending time with him in the Aussie sun, to slow down from her busy pace. 'I am a bit of a workaholic,' she says. 'I decided last year, when I met my boyfriend, that I do have an incredible life. My work enables me to travel and I love what I do. It used to be all work and not a lot of play. I am changing that. 'I saw Barbra Streisand interviewed about her book recently, and the interviewer asked her, 'What is there left to do?' She said, 'I want to live more.' And at that moment, I thought, 'Yes, I want that, too.''
West Australian
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- West Australian
Rival protests face off outside London migrant hotel
Anti-immigrant and anti-racism demonstrators faced off in London in the latest in a series of protests outside hotels housing asylum-seekers. Several hundred protesters waving Union Jacks gathered outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in central London, calling for it to stop housing migrants. Chants including "scum" and "Britain is full" were directed at the hotel. Police separated the demonstrators from a larger group of counter-protesters chanting "refugees are welcome here," as people inside the hotel watched from windows. Protests against migrants have taken place in recent weeks in Epping, a town on the outskirts of London where an asylum-seeker was accused of sexual assault, and in a smattering of other towns in England. Protesters say they are concerned about the safety risk posed by the migrants, many of them young men who have recently arrived in Britain in dinghies across the English Channel. The demonstrations have drawn local people, but have also been attended, and in some cases organised, by far-right groups. The protests come a year after several days of anti-immigrant rioting across England and Northern Ireland. Crowds in more than two dozen towns attacked hotels housing migrants, as well as mosques, police stations and a library. Some rioters targeted non-white people and threw bricks and fireworks at police. The summer 2024 violence was sparked when three girls were stabbed to death at a summer dance class in the town of Southport, and online misinformation identified the attacker as a recently arrived migrant. In fact, killer Axel Rudakubana was a British-born 17-year-old. Experts and community groups warn that the mix of anger, fear, misinformation and political agitating that fuelled that violence could erupt again, though protests this summer have been small and largely peaceful.
