Khaberni - A British court has sentenced a young Algerian man to more than two years in prison after he was convicted of stealing a handbag in central London, without realizing it contained rare items valued at approximately $3 million (2.2 million British pounds), including a luxurious Fabergé egg and a valuable watch.
The details of the incident date back to November 7, 2024, when Enzo Contisello (29 years old), stole a Givenchy brand bag from a woman named Rosie Dawson, while she was in a designated smoking area outside the "Dog and Duck" pub in the Soho district of central London.
The bag, valued at about 1,600 British pounds, was placed on the ground before the accused disappeared with it within minutes.
I was hidden behind personal items
According to what was revealed by the court, the bag contained a wooden display box housing an emerald-studded Fabergé egg, and a luxurious watch from the same collection, alongside an Apple laptop, AirPods, bank cards, and other personal belongings.
Southwark Crown Court in south London heard that the accused was looking for "easy money," as he handed over the entire bag to someone else in exchange for buying drugs, without knowing the true value of its contents.
Judge Kate Levis sentenced him to two years and three months in prison, describing the theft as "opportunistic and bizarre," causing severe stress and psychological pressure on the victim and her company, especially with the loss of extremely rare items.
Trial details
During a previous session in February, the accused, also known as Hakim Boujnane, pleaded guilty to three counts related to fraud by false representation and a theft charge. He was linked to the crime after attempting to use the victim's stolen cards at a nearby store minutes after carrying out the theft.
The prosecution stated that the stolen pieces are among the rarest in the world, as there are only seven similar sets that include a studded egg and watch and a bottle of fine whiskey. Three of them were sold for prices ranging between 2 and 3 million dollars.
Pursuit of the lost treasure
Although the insurance company compensated the owning company with a sum of 106,700 British pounds, the egg and the watch have not been found yet, as the London police continue their investigations to recover them.
On his part, the defendant's lawyer explained that he was working as a chef before he lost his job during the coronavirus pandemic, after which he slid into cocaine addiction, noting that he was homeless at the time of committing the crime and was unaware of the real value of the stolen items.
The police confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing to track the missing pieces, inviting anyone with information to contact them, noting that the crime had a significant impact on the victim who was targeted while returning from a work event.
