Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
A thief who took a handbag containing a highly valuable Fabergé egg and matching watch, with an estimated worth of up to £2.2 million, from a pub in central London has been sentenced to over two years in prison. The 29-year-old offender, Enzo Conticello, seized the handbag from Rosie Dawson while she was standing outside the Dog and Duck pub in Soho on 7 November 2024. Dawson had placed her bag between her legs on the ground, unaware that it contained the prized Fabergé pieces after she had brought them from a work-related exhibition earlier that evening.
The stolen items, which have not yet been recovered, included an emerald-encrusted Fabergé egg and a watch that had significant artistic and material value. Conticello, who also goes by the name Hakin Boudjenoune, admitted guilt for three fraud charges involving false representation and one count of theft during a previous hearing at Southwark Crown Court. Surveillance footage recorded him attempting to steal another patron’s bag inside the pub before eventually taking Dawson’s handbag outside the premises. Prosecutors revealed that he was motivated by the prospect of “easy money,” and that the handbag, which also contained credit cards and a laptop, was exchanged by Conticello to purchase drugs.
The investigation linked Conticello to the theft after he tried to use Dawson’s stolen bank cards at a local shop shortly after the crime occurred. The Fabergé luxury jeweler, originally established in Russia in 1842 and renowned for its gem-encrusted eggs crafted from precious metals, had produced only seven sets similar to the stolen one. This particular egg, crafted from 18-carat yellow gold, required more than 100 hours to complete and is adorned with 104 diamonds alongside an uncut emerald sourced from Zambia. The accompanying rose gold watch, inspired by one of Ireland’s “Seven Wonders,” weighs 22 carats.
During sentencing, Conticello’s lawyer explained that he previously worked as a chef but lost his employment during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently became addicted to cocaine. She asserted that Conticello did not fully comprehend the significant value of the items he had stolen, stating, “On the night in question, it was a moment of opportunity which he took, and he is genuinely remorseful for his behaviour.” The court was told Conticello was later arrested in Belfast for unrelated theft offenses in November 2025, which led to his connection with the 2024 handbag theft. Recorder Kate Livesey sentenced him to two years and three months, emphasizing the distress and inconvenience caused to Dawson and her employer, the Craft Irish Whiskey Company. The police continue their efforts to recover the missing egg and watch, with Detective Constable Arben Morina urging anyone with information to come forward. “Conticello thought nothing of helping himself to someone else’s possessions, and he now faces a prison sentence as a result of his greed,” Morina said
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.