🔗 Share this article

Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole over £1.2 million valued of goods, including from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.

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

The group of four were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in 2025.

At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie must hand over £1,135.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The judge was told the group arrived by ferry 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 another car to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they stole over one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the crew entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and shoes worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then acted 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 jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, wore gloves and masks, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be served in jail if he defaulted.

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

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a sports car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the amount outstanding".