🔗 Share this article

Members of an Italian clan of thieves who took more than £1.2m valued of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United striker Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of England to raid three houses in spring 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for from a decade or less in May 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 hand over £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the gang arrived by boat 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 using another car to search for properties and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they took over one million pounds of goods including designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

The following night, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth more than £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, used hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Court Hearings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in prison the result if the money was not submitted.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "such as operating Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount due".