🔗 Share this article

Individuals of an Italian family of burglars who stole over £1.2 million valued of goods, including from ex- NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of England to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

The group of four were jailed for from six and 10 years in 2025.

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie must hand over £1,135.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the group came by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing another car to scout out targets and execute thefts.

On 31 March they took over £1m of goods including high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

The next evening, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, valuables and footwear valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant burglars, wore gloves and masks, switched their phones on silent as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Hearings and Rulings

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The other three had no money or property so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", prosecutors could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".