🔗 Share this article

Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole more than £1.2 million valued of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.

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

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

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court was told the group arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing another car to scout out targets and carry out thefts.

On March 31 they took more than £1m of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.

The following night, the crew entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, jewellery and shoes valued at over £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

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

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum due".