America News Agency

In 2019, the thieves carried out a "daring raid" that lasted only five minutes, stealing a solid gold toilet worth £4.8 million from Blenheim Palace.

The toilet had been installed in September 2019 as part of an art exhibition at the Oxfordshire estate and was fully functional.

Prosecutor Julian Christopher KC told the court that a five-member gang using two vehicles broke into Blenheim Palace in the early hours of September 14, 2019, using sledgehammers to enter the locked doors.

The 18-karat gold toilet, named "America," was part of an exhibition by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan.

The toilet weighed 98 kg and was insured for $6 million. According to the court, at the time, the gold alone was worth approximately £2.8 million in September 2019.

The prosecutor stated that messages, voice notes, and screenshots found on the defendants' phones showed that the trio had negotiated a price of £25,632 per kilogram for approximately 20 kg of stolen gold.

A jeweler operating "Pacha of London" in Hatton Garden allegedly made a profit of around £3,000 per kilogram sold.

Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

The trial is ongoing.