🔗 Share this article

Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who stole over £1.2m valued of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were jailed for between a decade or less in 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The court 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 a service area and Durham rest stops while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they took over £1m of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and shoes worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, used hand coverings and masks, switched their phones off as they approached their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains session, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or assets so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "for example operating in Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the sum outstanding".