A man who stole a handbag containing a Fabergé egg and watch worth at least £2 million (US$2.8 million) from a London pub has been jailed for 27 months. Enzo Conticello, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of theft and three counts of fraud at Southwark Crown Court on April 9, 2025.
The theft occurred on November 7, 2024, outside the Dog and Duck pub in Soho, central London. The stolen Givenchy handbag, worth £1,600, belonged to Rosie Dawson, a director at Craft Irish Whiskey Company. Inside were the emerald-encrusted Fabergé egg and watch, a £1,500 Apple laptop, AirPods, bank cards, and other personal items.
Judge Kate Livesey described the theft as "opportunistic" and noted the "shock and panic" experienced by Dawson upon discovering the theft. The Fabergé egg and watch, part of a limited "Emerald Isle" collection, remain missing. Conticello, also known as Hakim Boudjenoune, attempted to use Dawson’s stolen bank cards at nearby supermarkets shortly after the theft.
Conticello, who had previously worked as a chef, claimed he did not realize the value of the items and exchanged them for drugs. The Craft Irish Whiskey Company had commissioned seven such sets, each valued between $2 million and $3 million. Three sets had been sold to private clients.
The theft has raised concerns about the potential export of stolen luxury items, with experts suggesting the egg could have been moved to Russia, China, or the Middle East within hours. The Metropolitan Police have urged anyone with information about the missing items to come forward.