Businessman who offered to sell stolen art “in two split seconds” sentenced to suspended prison term
London, U.K. — A well-known Windsor businessman who offered to sell a stolen £4.8 million gold toilet for a criminal associate has received a 21-month suspended sentence, narrowly avoiding prison time.
Fred Doe, also known as Fred Sines, was found guilty in March of conspiracy to convert or transfer criminal property, after he was caught on tape offering to broker a sale of the infamous 18-carat gold toilet stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019. During the heist, five men smashed into the historic Oxfordshire estate and fled with the fully plumbed, solid-gold artwork titled America, created by conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan.
A golden opportunity gone wrong
Just two days after the early morning theft, Doe sent a voice message to one of the burglars, James Sheen, stating: “I can sell that car for you in two split seconds.” In the encrypted world of the criminal enterprise, “car” was their code word for the stolen gold.
Doe, who had legitimate business contacts in London’s Hatton Garden jewellery district, used his connections to arrange a meeting with a bullion dealer. He assured Sheen of a smooth transaction: “Within 48 hours you get paid and it’s guaranteed by me. Personal guarantee.“
However, the deal fell through, and Sheen later sold approximately 20 kilos of the gold—about a fifth of the toilet’s total weight—to an unidentified buyer in Birmingham for £520,000. None of the rest of the gold has ever been recovered.
Judge acknowledges “limited role”
At Oxford Crown Court, Judge Ian Pringle handed Doe a 21-month prison sentence suspended for two years, along with 240 hours of unpaid community work.
“You had a limited function, you had no personal gain, you had no wider involvement, and you were involved for a short period,” the judge said in court. He added that Doe, who had no prior convictions, had been “targeted” by Sheen for his legitimate business ties and industry knowledge.
“In all the references I’ve read, you were described as kind, caring, selfless and somebody whom some people take advantage of,” Judge Pringle noted.
“I am a good person,” says convicted businessman
Speaking outside the courthouse, Doe expressed regret for his role in the saga. “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,” he told reporters.
Surrounded by friends who cheered and shouted in support, Doe left the court in a vehicle, with some in his group saying they planned to go for a celebratory drink.
During his trial, Doe admitted to helping Sheen find a buyer but denied knowing the gold was stolen. His defense counsel argued that “this loss to the nation’s bottoms cannot be laid at the feet of Fred Doe,” in reference to the toilet’s artistic and functional status.
The heist and aftermath
The theft of America captured international headlines in 2019. The artwork, which weighed 98 kilograms (216 pounds) and was insured for $6 million, had been installed at Blenheim Palace as part of a contemporary art exhibition. The golden toilet had previously been displayed at New York’s Guggenheim Museum.
Prosecutors revealed that Sheen began looking for buyers within 48 hours of the theft, offering the gold at roughly £25,500 per kilo. A trove of text messages, phone calls, and voice recordings between Sheen and Doe helped secure the businessman’s conviction.
Michael Jones, another man involved in the burglary, was found guilty in March. James Sheen pleaded guilty to burglary earlier this year. Both are due to be sentenced in June.
To date, the fate of the rest of the toilet’s gold remains a mystery. Whether it was melted down, broken into parts, or hidden remains unknown. As the investigation continues, what remains clear is that America, once a provocative symbol of excess, has vanished — leaving behind a trail of deception, coded messages, and an unlikely middleman who found himself at the center of one of Britain’s most bizarre art thefts.
