Ridiculous reasons people have ended up behind bars including sausage roll drama
From gold toilets to stolen sausage rolls, here's an absurd round up of real-life crimes that prove you really can go to jail for the downright ridiculous - and the court will never be amused
Criminal activity is nothing to joke about, but when it comes to crimes, you are probably thinking of burglary, fraud and assault. However, sometimes, the law collides with the most ridiculous crimes, and everyone ends up trying to hold a straight face whilst attempting to make it through a court case.
The case of the £4.8 million golden toilet, at Blenheim Palace, installed as part of an art exhibition by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan being stolen is one such case. The fully functioning 18-carat gold toilet titled America and crown jewel of the show was taken after a glitzy launch party in September 2019. Thieves smashed into the stately home and decided they weren't very happy with its positioning, instead choosing to make off with it themselves.
Two men have now been jailed, James 'Jimmy' Sheen, 40, a career criminal from Oxford, pleaded guilty to burglary and conspiracy in 2024 after his DNA was found at the scene and gold fragments were discovered in his clothes. His phone, brimming with incriminating messages in coded language and slang, sealed his fate.
He was sentenced to four years in prison, which he will serve consecutively with a previous 19-year term. Michael Jones, 39, was found guilty of burglary in March and sentenced to two years and three months. Jones had booked a time slot to use the toilet the day before the heist and even snapped photos inside the cubicle. During the court case Michael was asked to confirm having used the toilet, he confirmed and described the experience as 'splendid.'
The golden loo isn't the only criminality to have graced the halls of the very serious institution. A surprising number of offenders have found themselves on the wrong side of the law - some of them so surreal you probably won't even believe what you read.
Originally compiled by Morton's Solicitors in Manchester, here are some of the most outlandish real-life convictions in recent UK legal history:
Cheese Theft In 2013, a group of thieves targeted a dairy farm not for cattle, but for cheese. Whilst the rest of the world slept, thieves stole thousands of pounds worth of cheese. After being caught they claimed they were overcome with passion for cheese. Whilst everyone else was probably trying to stop themselves doubling over with laughter, the court wasn't very amused. Despite their 'passions,' the group were handed standard theft charges.
The Sausage Roll Incident One hungry individual couldn't resist the smell of a fresh batch of sausage rolls cooling on a bakery counter. They walked in, grabbed a handful, and left without paying but the individual faces standard theft charges because the law takes any type of property theft quite seriously. It's still a crime and still had consequences.
Takes the Biscuit In London, a man pocketed an expensive box of biscuits. When questioned, the man claimed they were meant as a gift for his girlfriend. Whilst the gesture was nice it was still a crime. The court - with its stiff upper lip - remained unmoved, treating the theft as a straightforward violation of retail laws.
Loitering in Gnome Disguise A group of individuals dressed as garden gnomes and lingered in a residential area, their aim was to spook passers-by. The stunt landed them in hot water and they were charged with public nuisance. The law doesn't accept that individuals should have to experience unnecessary distress.
Feeding the Seagulls In a coastal Devon town, a man was fined for feeding chips to seagulls, in breach of local regulations. The man argued he was just sharing a few chips with the birds, but the court ruled that encouraging aggressive bird behaviour was a public safety issue and upheld the penalty.
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North Wales Chronicle
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Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Mike Lynch's sunken yacht glimpsed above surface ahead of being fully raised
Seven people died when the Bayesian sank off the coast of the Italian island on August 19, including billionaire Mr Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18. The 56-metre (184ft) yacht is set to be lifted to the surface near the fishing town of Porticello over the weekend before being taken to nearby Termini Imerese — where Italian prosecutors investigating the sinking are based. On Friday, parts of the accommodation areas above deck and the hull were seen above the surface as teams worked to install additional lifting straps before the yacht was lowered back under the waterline ahead of being fully raised at the weekend. Investigators in the UK and Italy say raising the vessel is crucial to fully understanding what happened. Last week, salvage teams expected the boat to be raised later in June, but thanks to 'accelerated progress', the timeline was brought forward. The yacht's 72-metre (236ft) mast was cut off on Tuesday using a remote-controlled tool and rested on the seabed to be picked up later. Over the last few days, salvage teams worked to ease the hull into an upright position and give access to the yacht's right side, which had previously been lying flat on the seabed 50 metres below the surface. The yacht is currently supported by strong steel straps attached to Hebo Lift 10 — one of Europe's most powerful sea cranes. If all goes to plan, sea water will be pumped out of the hull as the boat is raised to the surface before being carried to Termini Imerese on Monday, where it will be lifted onto a specially made steel cradle on the quayside. Marcus Cave of British firm TMC Marine, which is overseeing the salvage efforts, said: 'The salvage team has made very substantive progress in the last 10 days. 'They are now preparing for the final, complex and delicate lifting operation, to bring Bayesian to the surface and ultimately into port.' The vessel was originally expected to be raised last month but salvage efforts were delayed after a diver died during underwater work on May 9, prompting greater use of remote-controlled equipment. About 70 specialist personnel had been mobilised to the fishing village of Porticello from across Europe to work on the recovery operation, which began last month. Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71, who were all British nationals. Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) investigators said in an interim report that the Bayesian was knocked over by 'extreme wind'. The yacht had a vulnerability to winds but the owner and crew would not have known, the report said. US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, and Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working as a chef on the vessel, also died in the sinking. Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued. Mr Lynch and his daughter were said to have lived in the vicinity of London and the Bloomers lived in Sevenoaks in Kent. The tycoon founded software giant Autonomy in 1996 and was cleared in June last year of carrying out a massive fraud over the sale of the firm to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011. The boat trip was a celebration of his acquittal in the case in the US.
South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Mike Lynch's sunken yacht glimpsed above surface ahead of being fully raised
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