🔗 Share this article

Members of an Italian family of burglars who stole over £1.2 million valued of items, including from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to raid multiple homes in April 2024.

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

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while using another car to scout out targets and carry out burglaries.

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

The following night, the crew broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices on silent as they approached their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in prison the result if the money was not submitted.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the sum due".