A man has been jailed for more than two years after stealing a designer handbag containing a rare Fabergé egg and watch worth over £2 million.
On 7 November 2024, Enzo Conticello swiped a £1,600 Givenchy handbag from Rosie Dawson while she was greeting a friend in the smoking area of the Dog and Duck pub in Soho, London.
The court heard that Dawson - who worked as a director of premium bands at Craft Irish Whiskey - had placed the bag between her £1,600 bag on the ground by her feet to greet a friend, only to notice the handbag had vanished minutes later.
Inside the bag were several of Dawson's personal items - a £1,500 Apple laptop, Apple AirPods, a £350 store voucher, keys, Ms Dawson’s three bank cards, £200 worth of make-up, a Mulberry card holder worth £150, and £20 in cash - as well as the watch and egg set, both which belonged to her employer.
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"Conticello thought nothing of helping himself to someone else’s possessions, and he now faces a prison sentence as a result of his greed," Detective Constable Arben Morina said of the case.
Dawson's bag wasn't the first theft which Conticello is understood to have attempted that evening, as the 29-year-old previously tried to steal another customer's belongings from inside the pub. Southwark Crown Court was also told that Conticello had handed over the bag in exchange for drugs.
Bank transactions recorded on Dawson's account revealed that Conticello had tried to use her card to make a £33.48 purchase at a nearby shop. Two further attempts were made at 11.30pm and 12.30am.
"This theft has had a significant impact on the victim, who was on her way home from a work event when she was targeted," Morina added.
"The defendant never explained to the police what he did with the expensive jewellery."
Conticello pleaded guilty to three charges of fraud by false representation and one count of theft back in February and was handed a two-year and three-month prison sentence.
Conticello’s defence barrister, Katie Porter-Windley, told the court that he was unaware of the monetary value of the egg and watch set, adding that he was 'genuinely remorseful' for his behaviour.
"On the night in question, it was a moment of opportunity which he took, and he is genuinely remorseful for his behaviour,” she said.
"He gave the bag to someone to purchase drugs. He had a cocaine addiction at the time."
Meanwhile, the emerald-encrusted set, which had been designed by Fabergé for their 'Emerald Isle' collection, had been valued at £2.2 million and has not been recovered.
The egg and watch were part of a series of exclusive sets - each containing a jewelled egg, watch, whisky bottle, cigars and humidor - only seven of which are in existence.
Insurers have paid out £106,700 to the drinks company for the loss.
Brenna Cooper