{"url":"https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/courts/thief-who-swiped-handbag-from-pub-containing-faberge-egg-and-watch-worth-£2m-caught-after-being-arrested-in-belfast/a/145479664.html","title":"Thief jailed for £2m Fabergé handbag snatch in Soho pub","domain":"belfasttelegraph.co.uk","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/34847709/pexels-photo-34847709.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"Soho pub theft","category":"Tech","language":"en","slug":"37df9903","id":"37df9903-5f76-484d-b839-6bcdb8ffd76c","description":"Thief Enzo Conticello stole a Givenchy handbag from whisky executive Rosie Dawson outside a Soho pub on November 7, 2024.","summary":"## TL;DR\n- Thief Enzo Conticello stole a Givenchy handbag from whisky executive Rosie Dawson outside a Soho pub on November 7, 2024.\n- The bag held a Fabergé egg and watch worth over **£2.1 million**, plus a laptop and cards he used for small frauds.\n- He was jailed for two years and three months after arrest in Belfast, but the valuables remain missing.\n\n## The story at a glance\nEnzo Conticello, 29, took Rosie Dawson's handbag from the smoking area of the Dog and Duck pub in Soho, London, as she greeted a friend. Dawson works as director of premium brands at Craft Irish Whiskey Co., and the stolen items were company pieces from a luxury collection. The case reached court after his arrest in Belfast for another theft, with sentencing on April 9, 2026, at Southwark Crown Court. It's reported now because that's when he was jailed.\n\n## Key points\n- Theft caught on CCTV: Conticello first tried another bag inside the pub, then grabbed Dawson's Givenchy handbag outside.\n- Stolen contents included a custom Fabergé egg and 18-carat rose gold watch from the \"Emerald Isle\" whiskey set, valued at **£2.1 million** (part of sets sold for up to **$3 million**).\n- He used her cards for cigarettes and a drink at nearby shops, leading to three fraud charges.\n- Arrested January 26, 2026, in Belfast by local police for unrelated theft; Met officers then detained him.\n- Pleaded guilty in February 2026 to theft and fraud; judge accepted it was opportunistic, not targeting the valuables.\n- Sentenced by Ms Recorder Kate Livesey KC to two years, three months; prior convictions include a 27-month term for similar offences.\n- Items not recovered; Conticello claimed he passed the bag to buy drugs while addicted and homeless.\n\n## Details and context\nThe Fabergé pieces were made for Craft Irish Whiskey's high-end collection, pairing a jewelled egg with emerald, whiskey, and watch in a cabinet. Insurance covered **£106,700**, but full sets have fetched millions at auction due to rarity—modern Fabergé nods to historic Romanov treasures.\n\nConticello, an Algerian also known as Hakim Boudjenoune, had no fixed address and said he didn't recognise the egg's value. Prosecutors agreed he didn't intend to steal it specifically, as pickpockets often hit jackpots unaware.\n\nLondon's West End sees frequent luxury thefts, some by organised Algerian groups exporting goods; police still seek the egg and watch.\n\n## Key quotes\n- Judge Kate Livesey KC: \"The basis of your guilty plea is that you were acting opportunistically... I accept the degree of loss was wholly unexpected when you took the bag.\"[[1]](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15718309/Algerian-thief-stole-Faberg-egg-watch-2-MILLION-handbag-grab-whisky-boss-West-End-sentenced.html)[[2]](https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/courts/thief-who-swiped-handbag-from-pub-containing-faberge-egg-and-watch-worth-£2m-caught-after-being-arrested-in-belfast/a/145479664.html)\n- Rosie Dawson's victim statement: She described shock, panic, and daily calls to police from ongoing stress.[[1]](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15718309/Algerian-thief-stole-Faberg-egg-watch-2-MILLION-handbag-grab-whisky-boss-West-End-sentenced.html)\n\n## Why it matters\nRare valuables like Fabergé items fuel black-market trade, hitting businesses with irreplaceable losses beyond cash payouts. It shows everyday pickpocketing can yield massive unintended hauls, with thieves facing long sentences even if opportunistic. Watch for police appeals or sales of similar eggs, though recovery looks slim.","hashtags":["#crime","#theft","#luxury","#court","#belfast","#faberge"],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/courts/thief-who-swiped-handbag-from-pub-containing-faberge-egg-and-watch-worth-£2m-caught-after-being-arrested-in-belfast/a/145479664.html","title":"Original article"},{"url":"https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15718309/Algerian-thief-stole-Faberg-egg-watch-2-MILLION-handbag-grab-whisky-boss-West-End-sentenced.html","title":""}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-09T12:16:00.496Z","createdAt":"2026-04-09T12:16:00.496Z","articlePublishedAt":"2026-04-09T00:00:00.000Z"}