Enzo Conticello, 29, has been jailed for more than two years after stealing a handbag containing an emerald-encrusted Fabergé egg and watch set worth up to £2.2m from a central London pub.
Key Takeaways
Enzo Conticello was jailed for over two years after stealing a handbag containing a Fabergé egg and watch worth up to £2.2m from a London pub.
- Conticello stole Rosie Dawson's handbag outside the Dog and Duck pub in Soho
- The bag contained a Fabergé egg, watch, laptop, credit cards, and AirPods
- He was sentenced to 27 months after pleading guilty to theft and fraud charges
- Insurers paid £106,700 for the loss to Dawson's employers at Craft Irish Whiskey Company
The theft occurred outside the Dog and Duck in Soho on 7 November 2024, when Conticello took Rosie Dawson's handbag which she had placed between her legs on the ground. The Fabergé items were inside the bag after Dawson had taken them for display at a work event earlier that evening.
Conticello was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court to 27 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of theft and three counts of fraud by false representation. According to The Guardian, Conticello handed over the bag, which also contained a laptop, wallet, AirPods, credit cards, and Givenchy handbag worth £1,600, to buy drugs. He was linked to the handbag theft after trying to use Dawson's bank cards in nearby supermarkets within minutes of committing the crime.
Fabergé is renowned for its gem-encrusted eggs made of precious metals. Insurers paid out £106,700 for the loss to Dawson's employers at the Craft Irish Whiskey Company. However, only seven Fabergé sets - containing a jewelled egg, watch, whisky bottle, cigars and humidor - are in existence.
Conticello was previously arrested for separate theft offences in Belfast in November 2025 and was then linked to the handbag theft. His barrister stated that Conticello did not realise how valuable the items were that he had stolen, according to BBC. Sentencing him to two years and three months in prison, Recorder Kate Livesey said the "opportunistic" theft caused "inconvenience and stress" to Dawson and her company.
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