Pub Thief Jailed Over £2.2m Fabergé Theft

Enzo Conticello, 29, has received a two-year-and-three-month prison sentence for stealing a handbag containing a Fabergé egg and a watch set valued at up to £2.2 million from a London pub. 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.

Dawson had placed the handbag between her legs on the ground moments before the crime. Inside were items she had brought for display at a work event that evening, including a jewelled Fabergé egg, a watch, and other luxury goods. The stolen items have yet to be recovered.

Conticello pleaded guilty to three fraud charges and one theft count at a prior hearing. The court learned he targeted the theft for “easy money,” using the bag to purchase drugs. His actions were later connected to the crime when he attempted to spend Dawson’s bank cards in a nearby shop shortly after the incident.

His barrister, Katie Porter-Windley, noted that Conticello was once a chef who lost his job during the pandemic and fell into cocaine addiction. She argued that the thief was unaware of the items’ true value, stating:

“On the night in question, it was a moment of opportunity which he took, and he is genuinely remorseful for his behaviour.”

Porter-Windley also mentioned that Conticello did not recognize the egg’s extraordinary value, describing it as “so extraordinary that he wouldn’t know on the face of it whether that was high value or not.”

Fabergé, a Russian luxury jeweller established in 1842, is renowned for its gem-encrusted eggs. Prosecutor Julian Winship emphasized that only seven such sets exist worldwide, each containing a jewelled egg, watch, whisky bottle, cigars, and a humidor. Insurers compensated Dawson’s employers, the Craft Irish Whiskey Company, with £106,700 for the loss.

Conticello was arrested in Belfast in November 2025, over a year after the theft, and was subsequently linked to the 2024 crime. Recorder Kate Livesey remarked that the theft caused “inconvenience and stress” to Dawson and her company, noting the shock of discovering the stolen bag’s value. “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,” Livesey said.

Det Con Arben Morina, leading the investigation, stated:

“Conticello thought nothing of helping himself to someone else’s possessions, and he now faces a prison sentence as a result of his greed.”

Authorities continue to search for the missing Fabergé items, with no sign of their recovery yet.

Police are still tracking the stolen goods, while the case highlights the risks of opportunistic theft in high-value contexts. The incident underscores the impact of such crimes on both individuals and businesses, with Dawson’s company left to deal with the aftermath of the loss.