🔗 Share this article

Individuals of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took over £1.2m valued of goods, among them from former Newcastle United striker Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.

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

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

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

Details of the Burglaries

The judge was told the group arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for targets and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they took over £1m of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by 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 authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no money or property so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the money was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount due".