🔗 Share this article

Individuals of an Italian clan of burglars who took over £1.2 million valued of items, among them from former NUFC striker Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her child Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

The group of four were jailed for from a decade or less in 2025.

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole over £1m of goods such as designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, valuables and footwear worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, used hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no money or assets so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the amount due".