🔗 Share this article

Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who took more than £1.2 million worth of items, including from former NUFC forward Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of the UK to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

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

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the group arrived by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute thefts.

On 31 March they took more than one million pounds of items such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the crew broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth over £100,000.

Following surveillance of 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, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the amount due".