🔗 Share this article

Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who stole over £1.2 million valued of goods, among them from former NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang came by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using another car to scout out targets and execute thefts.

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

The next evening, the gang entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear valued at over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced touring thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices off as they approached their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.

Legal Hearings and Rulings

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

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

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

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".