Thief Jailed for Stealing £2.2 Million Faberge Egg from London Pub

Enzo Conticello has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison for the theft of a handbag containing an emerald-encrusted Faberge egg and watch set valued at up to £2.2 million.

The 29-year-old, who is also known as Hakin Boudjenoune, appeared at Southwark Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to theft and three counts of fraud by misrepresentation.

The Soho Pub Theft

The incident occurred on November 7, 2024, in the smoking area of the Dog and Duck pub on Bateman Street in Soho, central London. Conticello stole a Givenchy handbag belonging to Rosie Dawson while she was standing outside the establishment.

The stolen handbag, valued at £1,600, contained a variety of high-value personal and corporate items. Among the contents were an emerald-encrusted Faberge egg and a Faberge watch, both of which belonged to the Craft Irish Whiskey Company, Ms. Dawson’s employer.

In addition to the jewelry, the bag contained a £1,500 Apple laptop, Apple AirPods, three bank cards, a Mulberry card holder worth £150, a £350 store voucher, £200 worth of makeup, keys and £20 in cash.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Conticello had used the stolen bank cards to purchase cigarettes and other goods at several supermarkets within the Soho area.

Conticello told the court that he was seeking easy money to fund a drug habit and claimed he handed over the handbag, including the Faberge treasures, for that purpose.

Recorder Kate Livesey, delivering the sentence on April 9, 2026, described the theft as opportunistic and noted that the crime had caused significant inconvenience and stress to both Ms. Dawson and the Craft Irish Whiskey 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, and the incredible stress this incident has caused her.

Recorder Kate Livesey

Valuation and Recovery Status

The valuation of the stolen Faberge items varied across court reports, with the items being valued at up to £2.2 million (approximately US$3 million), while other court records noted a minimum value of 2.8 million US dollars.

Despite the investigation and the subsequent conviction of Conticello, the emerald-encrusted Faberge egg and the accompanying watch have not been recovered.

Due to the loss of the items, insurers have paid out £106,700.