🔗 Share this article

Members of an Italian family of thieves who stole over £1.2m valued of items, including from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 per person.

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

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while utilizing another car to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole over £1m of goods including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the crew entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or property so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the amount due".