Despite spending about half of the past 20 years in prison, Sheen has personally made about £2m from his crimes, not including the golden toilet heist. Gangs he led have made more than £5m profit, according to archived court records accessed by the BBC.
In the months before and after the Blenheim heist, Sheen was leading another group of thieves that made more than £2.6m by blowing up cash machines, stealing high-value farm machinery and other thefts across the south and east of England, including the Newmarket museum raid.
He was sentenced to 17 years for these offences in 2022, more than a year before he was charged with the Blenheim heist. After that trial at Oxford Crown Court, a judge ruled Sheen had personally made £900,000 from the crimes – but was ordered to pay back just £1.
Thames Valley Police said it obtained a confiscation order for a “nominal sum” of £1, which allowed a “parallel financial investigation” to be carried out. It said that – five years after the crimes – financial investigations were “actively ongoing… for a significant amount in assets”.
Former home secretary David Blunkett said Sheen was “making a monkey of the system”, adding, “we can’t allow that to continue”.
In 2002, Lord Blunkett introduced the Proceeds of Crime Act – a flagship Labour policy that was supposed to show that crime did not pay by giving police and courts new powers to recover criminals’ assets.
But the peer said the act was failing, and believed it was because police, enforcement agencies and the judiciary have never been given adequate training or funding to properly implement the law.
“The only thing that will deter a prolific offender who’s doing very well out of the proceeds of crime is to get those proceeds back, it’s as simple as that,” he said.
Following the verdicts, Shan Saunders of the Crown Prosecution Service said the raid had been “carefully planned and executed”.
“But those responsible were not careful enough, leaving a trail of evidence in the form of forensics, CCTV footage and phone data,” he added.
“While none of the gold was ever recovered – no doubt having been broken up or melted down and sold on soon after it was stolen – we are confident this prosecution has played a part in disrupting a wider crime and money laundering network.”
Det Supt Bruce Riddell of Thames Valley Police said it had been a “complex investigation”.
“It is clear that Sheen has only one intent, and that is to do whatever he can to steal money and property regardless of the impact it has on others and communities.
“Jones was clearly keen to assist Sheen in the burglary, carrying out the recces on his behalf and it is our case that he benefitted financially from the crime and we believe he also was present at the raid.”