🔗 Share this article

Individuals of an Italian family of thieves who took more than £1.2 million worth of goods, including from former Newcastle United striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were jailed for from six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole over one million pounds of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The following night, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring burglars, used hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

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

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

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

The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the result if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the amount outstanding".