It is 'laughable' that Fred Doe, the son of a multimillionaire caravan magnate, avoided a jail sentence for his involvement in the sale of a £4.8 million golden toilet stolen from Blenheim Palace, an art theft expert told the Mail's 'The Trial' podcast.
Fred Doe, 37, was convicted following a trial in March of attempting to broker the sale of around 10 kilos of the stolen gold on behalf of burglar and family friend James Sheen, 40.
Judge Ian Pringle KC sentenced Doe to 21 months in prison, suspended for two years, after accepting that he had strong personal mitigation due to his wife's poor health and the wellbeing of his children.
Lawyer Christopher A. Marinello, one of the world's foremost experts in recovering stolen, looted, and missing works of art, said the awarding of a suspended sentence shows 'crime does pay in the UK.'
'It's laughable', Mr Marniello told crime reporters, Jack Hardy and Caroline Cheetham.
