Gang jailed for burglary at home of Newcastle United's Alexander Isak

ITV News

20-05-2025

A criminal gang, who burgled the home of Newcastle United's star striker Alexander Isak, along with two other properties in the north east, have been jailed.
Judge Robert Spragg said the burglaries, which netted the gang £1.3m, were planned, sophisticated and high value items were targeted, causing economic and sentimental loss.
Valentino Nikolov, 32, who has previous convictions for theft in Italy and burglary in Switzerland, has been jailed for ten years.
His brother Giacomo Nikolov, 28, who also has convictions for theft, was sentenced to eight years.
Their sister and getaway driver during the raids Jela Jovanovic, 43, got seven years and two months.
Meanwhile her son Charlie Jovanovic, 23, who has a previous conviction for burglary in Switzerland, was jailed for six years and nine months.
The judge told the raiders: "You all travelled from Italy specifically to carry out these burglaries as part of an organised criminal family group.
"You carefully researched and targeted your victims."
Isak wasn't in the property at the time of the raid, but when he returned home at 10pm on 4 April last year, he found his outside bins in his TV room.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that footage obtained from his "doggy cam" captured the raiders, who had travelled from Italy to raid luxury homes in the UK, lurking around his upmarket property in the Darras Hall area of Northumberland.
The 25-year-old's Audi sports car was also taken in the raid but later recovered, with some damage to the boot.
The court heard an embedded sim card in a Citroen C3 car used by the raiders showed they had hung around Newcastle United training ground to carry out surveillance on the footballer and establish his movements, or find out where he or other players lived.
A mobile phone seized when the raiders were arrested contained pictures of Isak playing football.
Valentino Nikolov denied conspiracy to commit burglary, which the other three had admitted, and was convicted by a jury after a trial.
In a victim impact statement, Isak said he has lived in the North East since August 2022 and added: "I have not experienced any problems with either criminal or other behaviour which negatively impacted on my well being.
"Things changed however on April 4 2024 when, following an evening at a colleague's house I returned to my home address to find I had been burgled and my car stolen from the drive.
"It appeared that a significant level of force had been used to attack the property and a large safe had been thrown over an upstairs balcony.
"An internal wall had been destroyed in order to remove the safe. My car had been used as a battering ram to force through the gates to my house.
"None of the property stolen from my home was ever recovered.
"The attack on my home has left me with a sense of unease and I fear it could re-occur now the thieves know the layout and entry points to my home.
"There has, from what I have been told, been a level of sophistication in planning and execution of the attack on my home, which I also find unnerving.
"I cannot deny I feel a sense of unease when I live and return to my home."
Meanwhile, the court heard the raid at Alexander Isak's mansion had an effect on his club, as well as him personally.
Glen Patterson, Newcastle United's player liaison officer, made an impact statement which was read out during the hearing.
Mr Patterson said he has to convince potential recruits at the club that Newcastle is a safe and secure place for them and their families.
He added there has now been an extensive review on player safety and there has been significant investment in security and the incidents have caused rumours to spread and players to moderate their social media postings.
The court heard the gang arrived in the country via a ferry to Dover from Calais on 27 March, before a stop off in London, from where they made their way north using a Ford motorhome and Citroen C3, which were captured on CCTV.
Prosecutor Daniel Cordey said: "It is the prosecution case that they all travelled to the North East together as part of that conspiracy or agreement to commit high value targeted burglaries of residential properties."
Mr Cordey said the gang were "forensically aware", took time to cover their movements by swapping sim cards out of their regular phones and wore gloves and masks during the break-ins.
Isak's mansion was the last of the three raids and Mr Cordey told the court: "That property was left unoccupied between 4pm and 10pm on the 4th of April 2024.
"The burglary was discovered when the Mr Isak returned just after 10pm. He found his bins had been moved and entry had been gained by smashing a glass door leading from the back of the property to the TV room.
"Inside an untidy search had taken place and cash to the value of between £5,000 and £10,000 had been stolen together with jewellery valued at about £68,000.
"A Dudley safe left by the previous occupant was also stolen from the property.
"The keys to Mr Isak's motor vehicle were also taken. It was an Audi, it was then stolen but later found abandoned after a report from a member of the public who called the police.
"Inside the property was CCTV. That CCTV showed three men in the living room
"One of those males, the prosecution says, can be identified as Giacomo Nikolov. He's wearing distinctive tracksuit bottoms with a PSG football club logo on the right leg."
A head torch was later found, believed to have been worn by one of the four during the raid.
Jurors were told that the first of the burglaries took place at Clayton House in Jesmond, Newcastle, where homeowners Michael and Helen McCardle had left to go on holiday on 30 March 2024.
A few days later a maintenance manager discovered the home had been broken into via the first floor.
Further searches revealed the disappearance of gold coins, high value watches, and designer clothes and handbags, totaling over £1 million.
Some of the stolen property was recovered but a large amount of property, including irreplaceable items of jewellery, has never been found.
A statement read on behalf of Mrs McCardle said a CBE medal, which she was awarded by the late Queen Elizabeth, was also stolen. A personal treasure which she planned to pass on as a family heirloom.
"I constantly think it could happen again. The thieves have not only stolen our belongings but our privacy and security."
The group then raided the house of a young mother in the gated cul-de-sac of Woodlands Grove in Whitburn, South Tyneside, around 15 miles from Newcastle.
The homeowner returned to the address in the afternoon of 3 April to find her patio doors open and over £100k of goods including designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and shoes were missing.
An untidy search had been made inside the property and she described her wardrobe as "trashed" with doors left open and items thrown onto the floor. The woman described the incident as traumatic - and said her children are scared to sleep in their own beds and sentimental gifts from her late father can never be replaced.
All four of the defendants, who face deportation after the jail terms, expressed remorse for the impact of their offences and say they want to return to their homeland.