🔗 Share this article

Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took more than £1.2m worth of items, among them from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of the UK to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

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

At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the group came by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for properties and execute thefts.

On March 31 they stole more than one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The following night, the crew entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the residence of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as experienced itinerant thieves, used hand coverings and masks, switched their phones on silent as they approached their targets 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.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

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

The remaining members had no assets or property so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.

The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example driving around Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the sum outstanding".