Fella avoids jail for trying to sell stolen £4.75m gold toilet from Churchill's stately home - Daily Star

Fella avoids jail for trying to sell stolen £4.75m gold toilet from Churchill's stately homeFrederick Doe, 37, was convicted of attempting to broker the sale of around 10 kilos of the stolen

gold on behalf of burglar and family friend James Sheen, 40CommentsNewsKelly Williams Assistant News Editor (Live)11:46, 19 May 2025Updated 13:21, 19 May 2025 A man has avoided jail over

the theft of a £4.75 million gold toilet from Blenheim Palace. The fully-functioning 18-carat toilet, which had been installed as an artwork at the Oxfordshire country house where Sir

Winston Churchill was born, was stolen in a raid in the early hours of September 14 2019.

It was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and was a star attraction in an exhibition when it was stolen. Frederick Doe, 36, also known as Frederick Sines, was today handed a

suspended sentence at Oxford Crown Court for his part in a plot to steal the loo.

‌ Earlier this year, he was convicted of attempting to broker the sale of around 10 kilos of the stolen gold on behalf of burglar and family friend James Sheen, 40. Doe is the son of

multimillionaire caravan magnate Maurice 'Fred' Sines - who has been accused by Irish authorities of being an ally of the notorious Kinahan organised crime clan, the Mail reports.

‌The 18-carat solid gold toilet was stolen in 2019(Image: PA) CCTV captured the unfolding raid as three of the men smashed their way through a window with sledgehammers and crowbars and

emerged just minutes later with the golden toilet. No trace has ever been found.

Within hours of the heist, married father-of-four Doe, who lives in a mansion near Ascot racecourse, messaged Sheen to say he knew about the stolen gold and could help him.

Article continues below Judge Ian Pringle KC sentenced Doe to 21 months imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered him to do 240 hours unpaid work.

Mr Fred Doe (formerly Fred Sines) outside Oxford Crown Court(Image: n.c) Doe, of Winkfield, Windsor, Berkshire, was found guilty by a jury at the same court in March of conspiracy to

transfer criminal property.

‌ Doe helped one of the men who pleaded guilty to carrying out the burglary, James Sheen, to sell some of the gold in the following weeks, the court heard.

The judge said Doe had been of previous good character and accepted that the conspirators may have taken advantage of his good nature.

James Sheen, 40, pleaded guilty to burglary(Image: PA)‌ He said Doe was “targeted” for his legitimate contacts in the Hatton Garden jewellery district.

Previously, jurors at Oxford Crown Court found Michael Jones, 39, guilty of burglary.

Jones, from Oxford, visited the palace twice before the theft but had denied these were reconnaissance trips.

‌Michael Jones, 39 was also convicted(Image: PA) He previously told jurors he “took advantage of” the gold toilet’s “facilities” while at the country house the day before it was taken.

Asked what it was like, Jones said: “Splendid.”

‌ Jurors were previously told that James Sheen, 40, from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, had already pleaded guilty to burglary.

The damage that was left behind(Image: PA) He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transfer criminal property and one count of transferring criminal property, at Oxford Crown Court in April

2024.

‌ Jones had worked as a roofer and builder for Sheen from around 2018 and was effectively Sheen’s “right-hand man”, being trusted to arrange payments for his friend’s other employees.

Blenheim Palace said in a statement: “We are extremely pleased that, five years after the theft of Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork America, three individuals have been brought to justice.

The raid was caught on CCTV(Image: PA)‌ “We would like to thank Thames Valley Police for their tireless work on this case and the highly professional way they have conducted their

investigation into the theft from Blenheim Palace.”

In passing sentence, Judge Ian Pringle KC rejected the suggestion by prosecutor Julian Christopher KC that Doe was one of the main players in the conspiracy, saying: “You were, at best, a

middle man who was targeted by James Sheen as you knew people in Hatton Garden because of your knowledge of valuable watches.”

He said Doe was “targeted” for his legitimate contacts in the Hatton Garden jewellery district.

‌ The judge told Doe: “Those responsible for this audacious heist, five indiviuals could be seen on CCTV, were clearly intent on disposing of their ill-gotten gains quickly – one of them was

James Sheen and he knew you.

“He clearly knew you had business connections, legitimate business connections with the Hatton Garden area in London.

“You foolishly agreed to assist him.”

‌ The judge added: “You agreed to assist Mr Sheen without any hope or expectation of a reward for yourself.

“You do things for people as favour without any expectation of reward for yourself.

“You no doubt, for the last five-and-a-half years, regret doing for James Sheen every day since your arrest.”

‌They celebrated outside the court(Image: n.c) Speaking outside court, Frederick Doe said he had been taken advantage of by those who stole the gold toilet from Blenheim Palace.

Doe told the PA news agency: “My good nature has been taken advantage of. I got caught up in something I should not have and now I just want to go home and enjoy my family. I am a good

person.”

Article continues below He left in a car surrounded by a group of friends, who shouted “he is a good person” and said they would be going for a drink to celebrate.

His father previously told the Mail that he believed authorities were only targeting his son as 'pay back' because they had failed to bring him down over his alleged links to the Kinahans.

Sheen and fellow burglar Michael Jones, 39, are due to be sentenced over their role in the raid next month.