🔗 Share this article

Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole over £1.2m valued of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 each.

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

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

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

Details of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the gang came by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using another car to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they stole over £1m of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their phones off as they approached their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

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

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

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

The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the money was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the amount outstanding".