A MAN who tried to sell a £4.8million gold toilet stolen from a stately home dodged jail due to his “good nature”.
Jeweller Frederick Doe, 37, got caught up in the heist after a ram-raid on Blenheim Palace in 2019.
A £4.8million gold toilet — installed as an artwork called America — was stolen from a stately homePA
GettyIt was taken from Blenheim Palace, Winston Churchill’s Oxfordshire birthplace, in just five minutes[/caption]
The audacious theft saw the loo — installed as an artwork called America — taken from Winston Churchill’s Oxfordshire birthplace in just five minutes.
Doe facilitated the attempted sale of the gold to dealer Bora Guccuk — who was cleared of knowing it was stolen — in London’s Hatton Garden.
The deal didn’t go ahead and none of the gold has been recovered. Doe, also known as Fred Sines, admitted using the code word “cars” for the gold bars but said he didn’t know it was stolen.
He celebrated with his family after avoiding jail.
He told the trial at Oxford crown court: “To me, gold is gold. I don’t know good gold from bad.”
Doe, who said he had not expected to profit from the sale, was found guilty in March of conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
Judge Ian Pringle KC yesterday accepted that the businessman, of Windsor, Berks, was of previous good character.
He sentenced him to 21 months’ jail — suspended for two years — and 240 hours’ unpaid work.
The court heard that Doe was a dad of four whose wife is suffering from a severe but undiagnosed medical condition.
He also runs a boxing club for underprivileged youngsters in his home town and was said to have had his good nature “taken advantage of”.
Two gang members will be sentenced for their parts in June.
A relieved Frederick Doe, right, celebrates with his father after dodging jail Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
