🔗 Share this article

Members of an Italian clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2m valued of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her son Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

The foursome were jailed for between a decade or less in 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they took more than £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street 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 designer handbags, jewellery and footwear valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, used hand coverings and masks, turned their phones on silent as they neared their targets and attached a number 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 April 13.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

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

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "for example driving around Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could seek further action to "recover the amount due".