🔗 Share this article

Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who took more than £1.2 million worth of goods, including from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie travelled to the northeastern of the UK to burgle three houses 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 Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the group came by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while using another car to search for properties and execute thefts.

On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of goods including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the crew entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes valued at more than £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, wore gloves and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer 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 had stolen.

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 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the money was not paid.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the amount outstanding".