🔗 Share this article

Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole over £1.2m valued of items, among them from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her son Charlie travelled to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court was told the group arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and carry out thefts.

On March 31 they took over £1m of items such as designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

The following night, the crew broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their phones on silent as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Hearings and Rulings

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

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

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

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount due".