Pub thief jailed over £2.2m Fabergé theft
Pub Thief Jailed Over £2.2m Fabergé Theft
A 29-year-old man, identified as Enzo Conticello, has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for stealing a handbag containing a £2.2m worth of Fabergé items from a pub in central London. The theft occurred on 7 November 2024, when Conticello, also known as Hakin Boudjenoune, took Rosie Dawson’s bag while she stood outside the Dog and Duck in Soho. The bag, placed between her legs on the ground, held a jeweled Fabergé egg, a watch, and other valuables. The stolen goods remain missing.
Details of the Crime
Conticello was linked to the theft after using Dawson’s credit cards in a nearby shop shortly after the incident. The court heard he had intended to take “easy money” and later handed over the bag to purchase drugs. Prosecutors highlighted that the items were taken for display at a work event earlier that evening, making the theft particularly impactful.
“On the night in question, it was a moment of opportunity which he took, and he is genuinely remorseful for his behaviour,” said Conticello’s barrister, Katie Porter-Windley.
Porter-Windley argued that Conticello, who previously worked as a chef, lost his job during the pandemic and fell into cocaine addiction. She noted he was unaware of the items’ high value, emphasizing that the egg’s “extraordinary” appearance might have misled him. “He wouldn’t know on the face of it whether that was high value or not,” she explained.
Impact and Sentencing
Recorder Kate Livesey, delivering the sentence, stated that the theft caused “inconvenience and stress” to Dawson and her employer, the Craft Irish Whiskey Company. She cited Dawson’s testimony about the shock and panic of realizing her company’s valuable possessions had been stolen. Livesey sentenced Conticello to two years and three months in prison, underscoring the greed-driven nature of the crime.
“Ms Dawson described the particular shock and panic upon realising a bag containing items of such particular value owned by the company had been stolen, and the incredible stress this incident has caused her,” Livesey added.
Conticello was arrested in Belfast in November 2025, over a year after the theft, and connected to the 2024 incident through the use of Dawson’s cards. Police continue their search for the Fabergé egg and watch. Det Con Arben Morina, leading the investigation, remarked: “Conticello thought nothing of helping himself to someone else’s possessions, and he now faces a prison sentence as a result of his greed.”
Background on Fabergé
Fabergé, a renowned Russian jeweler established in 1842, is famed for its gem-encrusted eggs and luxury items. Insurers reimbursed Dawson’s employers £106,700 for the loss, though Prosecutor Julian Winship pointed out that only seven Fabergé sets—including a jeweled egg, watch, whisky bottle, cigars, and humidor—exist globally. The theft underscores the significance of these rare artifacts in the art of theft.
