🔗 Share this article

Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took over £1.2 million valued of goods, including from ex- Newcastle United forward Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.

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

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge was told the group came by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took over £1m of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they approached their targets and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be served in prison if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or property so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not submitted.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".