🔗 Share this article

Individuals of an Italian clan of burglars who took more than £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from former NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in 2025.

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they stole more than £1m of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the crew entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, 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 auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no assets or assets so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 each, with one week in prison the result if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the amount due".