🔗 Share this article

Members of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole more than £1.2m worth of items, including from former Newcastle United forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 per person.

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

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

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge was told the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing another car to scout out targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they stole over £1m of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

The following night, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant thieves, used gloves and masks, switched their phones off as they approached their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

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

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "for example operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".