🔗 Share this article

Members of an Italian family of burglars who stole more than £1.2m worth of goods, including from former Newcastle United striker Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

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

The group of four were jailed for from six and 10 years in May 2025.

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

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court was told the gang came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute thefts.

On March 31 they stole over £1m of goods including designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth over £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.

The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the amount outstanding".