CCTV footage has captured the moment a man walks out of a bar in Soho with a bag containing a Fabergé egg and watch valued at £2.2 million.
Enzo Conticello, 29, took the Givenchy handbag belonging to Rosie Dawson as she stood in the smoking area of the Dog and Duck pub in Bateman Street just before 10pm on November 7, 2024.
Inside the bag, was an emerald-encrusted rare Fabergé egg and watch set which had been on display at an event earlier in the evening, as well as Ms Dawson’s computer and purse containing her bank cards.
It is understood the Fabergé egg and watch belonged to Ms Dawson’s employers at the Craft Irish Whiskey Company. The set has not been located.
Southwark Crown Court heard that Conticello was after “easy money” and says he handed over the bag to buy drugs.
He was sentenced to two years and three months in prison on Thursday.
Detectives from the Met’s Central West Proactive team carried out extensive enquiries following the theft to trace two suspects.
Officers travelled to Belfast to arrest Conticello after the Police Service of Northern Ireland had detained him for an unrelated theft offence.
Police are still appealing for information about the missing items and are keen to hear from anyone who may have been offered them for sale or with information about their current whereabouts.
Detective Constable Arben Morina, who is leading the Met’s investigation, said: “Conticello thought nothing of helping himself to someone else’s possessions – and he now faces a prison sentence as a result of his greed.
“This theft has had a significant impact on the victim, who was on her way home from a work event when she was targeted.
“The defendant never explained to the police what he did with the expensive jewellery. Our investigation to find the egg and the watch is ongoing and we’d urge anyone with information to contact us.”
CCTV showed Conticello stealing the bag and attempting to steal another rucksack in the venue a few minutes earlier on the night of November 7.
Footage also showed him using the stolen bank cards in convenience stores in the hours after the theft.
He was identified by officers and attempts were made to arrest him at his last known address.
However, they were unable to locate him despite enquiries at locations he was known to frequent.
Conticello was circulated as wanted and officers were alerted by the PSNI after he was arrested in Belfast on November 9, 2025 for unrelated theft offences.
During his arrest in Belfast, he had given police a different name and presented false Irish identity documentation in the same name.
Detectives from the Met travelled to Belfast to arrest Conticello as he was released from Maghaberry Prison on Wednesday, January 26. He was flown to London and appeared before Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, January 27.
A second man was identified from CCTV footage.
A 32-year-old man was arrested on November 24 on suspicion of theft of the bag and fraudulent use of the stolen cards. He accepted a caution for the fraud offences.
No further action was taken against him for the theft offence.
Police enquiries to find the missing Fabergé items are ongoing. The egg is around 10cm high and is green and gold in colour. The watch is rose gold with a brown leather strap.
The egg and watch are part of a limited edition run of matching items produced by Fabergé. In 2024, a similar set of items was auctioned together with a rare bottle of whiskey for $2.8m.
A 25-year-old man was arrested on 20 November 2024 on suspicion of handling stolen goods after the company that commissioned the egg and watch were approached with questions about the items’ value. Following a review of the evidence, a decision was made to take no further action in his case.
Anyone with information about the Fabergé egg and watch is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference 01/1057202/24, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
