Oxford Crown Court Sentencing Results

James Sheen was part of a gang that broke into Blenheim Palace on September 14, 2019, using sledgehammers to smash through a window and rip out a fully-functioning 18-carat gold toilet valued at £4.75 million. The toilet, titled 'America' and created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was stolen during a five-minute raid and has never been recovered. Sheen's DNA was found on a sledgehammer used to sever the toilet from its pipes.

Michael Jones visited Blenheim Palace on two occasions in the days before the burglary on September 14, 2019, to scout the location of the gold toilet and plan the quickest escape route. A gang of thieves then stole the 18-carat gold toilet, valued at £4.75 million, during a five-minute raid by smashing through a window and driving away in stolen vehicles.

On January 31, 2025, Luke King violently attacked and strangled a woman in her 30s. He was arrested, charged while in custody, and remanded to prison prior to trial to ensure the victim's safety. The incident involved physical assault, and King had pleaded guilty during a hearing.

Alberto de Andrade Abreu, 42, of Reading Road, Henley, abused a woman in her 50s between July 2017 and July 2024, causing serious injuries to her head from which she still suffers. The offences included domestic abuse, actual bodily harm, coercive controlling behaviour, threatening with a knife, witness intimidation, and possession of cannabis. He was arrested on July 22, 2024, and the victim came forward despite her fears.

Waqas Ikram, 41, from Dagenham, was caught attempting to break into a vehicle to smuggle four migrants at South Mimms services on March 30, 2021. He was part of a smuggling operation that charged migrants up to £7,000 each and facilitated multiple crossings via lorry in 2019, using GPS trackers to follow vehicles without drivers' knowledge. His iPhone revealed conversations outlining the criminal network's activities.

Najib Khan, 39, was involved in a smuggling operation that used GPS trackers to follow lorries carrying hidden migrants. He conspired with Ikram and others to facilitate illegal entries into the UK, including unsuccessful attempts to transport 32 migrants, and shifted focus to using an inflatable boat for Channel crossings.

Jalal Tarakhail, 25, from Ilford, assisted in hiding 16 people, including 11 children, and helped find storage locations for vehicles used in the migrant transport operation. He was part of the same organised crime group as Ikram and Khan, which used various methods to smuggle migrants into the UK.

Mohammed Ibrahim, 39, of Southchurch Road, Southend, was travelling without a valid 13 GBP train ticket at Huntingdon station on October 26.

John-paul Walker, 44, of Dedworth Road, Windsor, was found guilty of assault by penetration and attempted rape of a 13-year-old girl. The offences occurred in 2018. During sentencing, it was heard that Walker still denies the crimes, and references were provided by his family. His barrister argued he is not a dangerous offender despite his denial.

In 2002, Stephen Burnett took inappropriate photos of a girl under 16 and performed inappropriate acts in front of her while asking her to adopt different positions. He offered to get her into modelling. The offences were reported in 2022, leading to his arrest on July 6, 2022, charges on January 24, 2023, and a guilty plea on March 17, 2023.

Sally Burborough, a 58-year-old bookkeeper from Aylesbury, abused her position of trust at Haseley Farm in Oxfordshire, where she managed the books since 2008. Between June 2016 and January 2023, she siphoned off £185,815.52 by transferring funds to her joint bank account with her husband and her business account. This fraud continued even after the farm owner's death, causing significant emotional distress to the family, including an 84-year-old widow and her children, who described it as an act of greed and a betrayal of trust.