Pub Thief Swiped Handbag With Faberge Egg Inside

A London man who stole a handbag outside a pub ended up entangled in a much bigger crime than he likely imagined. Authorities are now searching for a rare Fabergé egg worth millions while the thief begins a prison sentence.

Enzo Conticello, 29, received a 27-month prison term at Southwark Crown Court after pleading guilty to theft and three counts of fraud by false representation. Security cameras showed him attempting to take a bag inside the Dog and Duck pub on November 7, 2024. When that failed, he moved outside and grabbed a handbag belonging to marketing executive Rosie Dawson. The bag had been placed between her legs while she was talking with others in a designated smoking area.

Shortly after the theft, Conticello began using Dawson’s bank cards at a nearby store. Those transactions helped investigators trace the crime back to him.

What Conticello likely did not realize at the time was that the stolen bag contained extremely valuable items. Inside were a rare emerald-set Fabergé egg and a matching watch. Dawson had brought them to a work function for the luxury drinks company the Craft Irish Whiskey Company.

Prosecutors said the items are part of an ultra-limited set. Only seven of the collections exist worldwide, each including a jeweled egg, a watch, a bottle of whiskey, cigars, and a humidor. The egg is made from 18-carat gold, decorated with 104 diamonds, and contains an uncut emerald from Zambia. Crafting the piece required more than 100 hours of work. The accompanying watch is made of rose gold and weighs 22 carats.

Insurance covered about $145,000 for the company, but the missing items could be worth as much as $3 million. Police have not yet recovered them.

Prosecutors said Conticello later exchanged the handbag for cash that he used to purchase drugs. Investigators eventually connected him to the theft after he was arrested in Belfast more than a year later in connection with other theft offenses. The Fabergé egg and watch remain missing.