LONDON — A man linked to one of Britain’s most audacious art thefts has avoided jail after a judge ruled he had been manipulated by the masterminds behind the crime.
Frederick Doe, also known as Frederick Sines, was handed a two-year suspended sentence and ordered to complete 240 hours of unpaid work for helping facilitate the sale of a $6.4 million (4.74 million pounds) solid gold toilet stolen in 2019 from Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill.
The 18-carat toilet, titled “America”, was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan as a satirical critique of excessive wealth. The fully functional sculpture had previously been on display at the Guggenheim Museum in New York and had even been offered to former U.S. President Donald Trump in lieu of a Van Gogh painting he requested.
The heist took place in the early hours of September 14, 2019, when a group of thieves smashed into the 18th-century palace, causing significant damage to the UNESCO World Heritage site. The toilet, weighing over 215 pounds (98 kg), was never recovered and is believed to have been dismantled and melted down for its gold.
Judge Ian Pringle told the court that Doe had been foolish, not malicious. “You foolishly agreed to assist,” he said. “You no doubt, for the last five-and-a-half years, regret doing (that) for James Sheen every day since your arrest.”
Doe was convicted of conspiracy to transfer criminal property. Although he claimed he had no idea the gold was stolen, evidence showed he messaged ringleader James Sheen, saying he could “sell the gold in a second” due to his contacts in London’s jewelry district.
Doe showed relief after sentencing, pumping his fist outside court and saying, “I got caught up in something I should not have.”
James Sheen, 40, and Michael Jones, 39, were the only two from the five-person gang who have been charged and convicted in connection to the theft. Both are set to be sentenced on June 13.
The case remains one of the most bizarre and high-profile art thefts in recent British history, leaving the art world and public still wondering about the fate of “America.”
