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 Givenchy handbag containing a £2.2 million worth of Fabergé items from a central London pub. The theft occurred on 7 November 2024, when the handbag was taken from Rosie Dawson as she stood outside the Dog and Duck pub in Soho. The stolen items—comprising a jewelled Fabergé egg, watch, and other valuables—were later displayed at a work event, but were never recovered.
Link to nearby shop incident
Conticello, also known as Hakin Boudjenoune, admitted guilt to three fraud charges and one theft count during an earlier hearing. The court learned he had handed over the bag to purchase drugs, and it was later discovered he used Dawson’s bank cards in a shop close to the crime scene within minutes. Insurers covered the loss with a payout of £106,700, though prosecutors highlighted the rarity of the Fabergé collection, noting only seven such sets exist globally.
“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.
Porter-Windley explained that Conticello, who previously worked as a chef, lost his job during the pandemic and fell into cocaine addiction. She argued he did not realize the stolen items were of such high value, adding that the egg’s appearance was so striking it might have misled him about its worth.
Recorder Kate Livesey emphasized the “opportunistic” nature of the theft, which caused significant disruption to 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,” Livesey noted, underscoring the stress the incident inflicted.
Policemen are still searching for the Fabergé egg and watch. Det Const 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.”
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