🔗 Share this article

Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2 million valued of goods, including from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 each.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of England to burgle three houses in April 2024.

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The court was told the gang arrived by boat 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 rest stops while utilizing another car to scout out targets and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of goods including high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.

The next evening, the gang entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and shoes worth over £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the sum due".