Pub thief jailed over £2.2m Fabergé theft

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 rare Fabergé egg and 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 the Givenchy handbag from Rosie Dawson as she stood outside the Dog and Duck pub in Soho.

The stolen items—comprising a jeweled Fabergé egg, a watch, and a set of cigars and a humidor—were in Dawson’s handbag after she brought them to a work event that evening. They remain missing. Conticello admitted guilt for three fraud charges and one theft count at an earlier hearing, leading to his sentencing at Southwark Crown Court.

Stolen Goods and Financial Impact

Prosecutor Julian Winship noted that only seven Fabergé sets exist globally, each containing a jeweled egg, watch, whisky bottle, cigars, and humidor. Insurers compensated £106,700 for the loss, but the value of the items far exceeds that. Conticello, seeking “easy money,” handed over the bag to purchase drugs, according to his barrister, Katie Porter-Windley.

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

Porter-Windley explained that Conticello, a former chef, lost his job during the pandemic and developed a cocaine addiction. She argued he was unaware of the items’ extraordinary value, adding that the Fabergé egg’s appearance made it seem less valuable to him. “So extraordinary that he wouldn’t know on the face of it whether that was high value or not,” she said.

Recorder Kate Livesey highlighted the “opportunistic” nature of the theft, emphasizing its impact on Dawson and her company. “The theft caused inconvenience and stress to Ms Dawson and her employer,” Livesey remarked, noting Dawson’s shock upon realizing the bag’s contents had been stolen.

Ongoing Investigation

Det Const Arben Morina, leading the case, described Conticello’s actions as a result of his greed. “He thought nothing of helping himself to someone else’s possessions,” Morina said. Police continue their search for the Fabergé egg and watch, which were not recovered. Conticello was arrested in Belfast in November 2025, over a year after the incident, linking him to the 2024 crime.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk.