Pub thief jailed over £2.2m Fabergé theft

Pub thief jailed over £2.2m Fabergé theft

Man convicted for stealing rare items from London pub

Enzo Conticello, 29, has received a two-year-and-three-month prison sentence after admitting to stealing a handbag containing a £2.2m worth emerald-encrusted Fabergé egg and watch set from a pub in central London. The theft occurred on 7 November 2024, when Conticello, also known as Hakin Boudjenoune, took the bag from Rosie Dawson as she stood outside the Dog and Duck pub in Soho.

Dawson had placed the handbag between her legs on the ground moments before the crime. Inside were items she had brought out for display at a work event that evening, including a jewelled Fabergé egg, a watch, a whisky bottle, cigars, and a humidor. The stolen goods have not been recovered.

“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.

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

Prosecutor Julian Winship emphasized the significance of the stolen items, noting only seven Fabergé sets exist globally. Insurers compensated Dawson’s employers at the Craft Irish Whiskey Company with £106,700 for the loss. Porter-Windley argued Conticello lacked awareness of the items’ value, stating he “wouldn’t know on the face of it whether that was high value or not.”

Recorder Kate Livesey highlighted the “opportunistic” nature of the theft, which caused “inconvenience and stress” for Dawson and her company. “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,” the judge added.

Policemen continue searching for the stolen Fabergé items. Det Con Arben Morina, leading the case, 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.”

Conticello was arrested in Belfast in November 2025, over a year after the theft, for separate offences. The case underscores the impact of his actions on Dawson’s employers, who lost a valuable collection of Fabergé items.