A judge has comically described the theft of a £5million golden toilet from Blenheim Palace as "not a bog-standard burglary" during the ongoing trial at Oxford Crown Court.
Michael Jones, 39, has been accused of stealing the 18-carat gold artwork titled "America" by Maurizio Cattelan in September 2019.
The toilet was stripped from the stately home by sledgehammer-wielding burglars in a five-minute raid at the Unesco World Heritage site.
Judge Ian Pringle was met with howls of laughter in court as he summarised the alleged heist.
The 'audacious' heist court trial is being heard at Oxford Crown Court
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"Despite all the evidence you may all agree about one thing this was not a bog-standard burglary," Judge Pringle told the court.
"It was an audacious heist on one of the most famous palaces in this country," he said, adding that the burglary was "bold" and "brazen" with "great rewards for those who vanished".
In 2019, two vehicles entered the Blenheim estate through a wooden gate, then drove across fields to the palace, the court heard.
"The first vehicle was a light truck with some heavier front of the vehicle, and it managed to push open those gates, which weren't locked but just shut," Judge Pringle said.
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Men "in disguise" - armed with sledgehammers and crowbars smashed a window to the right of the palace front entrance.
They then "proceeded, very swiftly, to unplug America" leaving "the pipes gushing out water" before fleeing the scene.
The day before the lavatory was stolen, Jones spent 90 minutes at the palace with a woman, the court was told.
Several photographs were taken of artworks, high-value vehicles, a poster advertising the toilet exhibition and the window that was later smashed.
Jones previously told the court he believed the 98kg toilet was "splendid" when he used it the day before the theft.
The gold toilet was insured for $6million (£4.75million) and its gold content alone was worth about £2.8million
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Jones, from Oxford, denies the burglary charge as the jury is due to consider the verdict soon.
Two other defendants are also on trial alongside Jones - Frederick Doe, 36, and Bora Guccuk, 41, each deny one count of conspiracy to transfer criminal property.
The gold toilet was insured for $6million (£4.75million) and its gold content alone was worth about £2.8million.
The trial continues at Oxford Crown Court.
