🔗 Share this article

Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who stole more than £1.2m valued of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her child Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to raid three houses in spring 2024.

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

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the group came by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they stole over £1m of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes valued at more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, wore gloves and masks, switched their phones on silent as they neared their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains session, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in prison the consequence if the money was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".