🔗 Share this article

Individuals of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole over £1.2 million worth of items, including from ex- Newcastle United striker Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to raid multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for from a decade or less in May 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.

Details of the Break-ins

The judge was told the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

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

The group, who were described by the prosecution as experienced itinerant thieves, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

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

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount due".