Crime gang who targeted former Newcastle player’s Darras Hall home back in court
A travelling crime gang who burgled former Newcastle striker Alexander Isak’s Darras Hall home have been back in court after targeting three other footballers in the West Midlands.
Valentino Nikolov received a ten year jail term and his nephew Charlie Jovanovic six years nine months in May last year after stealing cash and jewellery worth nearly £80,000 from Isak’s Middle Drive property while he was out visiting a teammate.
Newcastle Crown Court heard they had also raided executive homes in Jesmond and Whitburn during the week-long crime spree in April 2024, taking high value goods including clothing and jewellery worth more than £1m.
They returned to the court from custody to admit further charges of conspiracy to burgle relating to earlier raids during Christmas 2023 on the homes of Manchester United's Matheus Cunha, ex-Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey and former Birmingham City goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.
The pair, along with two other family members who had travelled from Italy by ferry to commit the North-East burglaries, used social media and stalked football training grounds to select their victims, the court heard.
Up to £500,000 worth of designer clothes and jewellery were taken from Cunha’s property and around £15,000 from Etheridge’s home, while the thieves left Bailey’s address empty-handed after police were alerted by a security system.
Nikolov, 34, was jailed for four years four months, to run consecutive to the ten years he received last May for the North East offences after being found guilty after a trial. Jovanovic, 24, got two years and four months, consecutive to the six years nine months he got last year having pled guilty.
Both face automatic deportation to Italy upon release.
Sentencing the pair, Judge Robert Spragg told the court: “You travelled from abroad to carry out the burglaries as part of an organised criminal family group. You had clearly carefully researched and targeted your victims. These were sophisticated and planned offences with gloves, torches, disguises and spray for dogs.”
Isak, who now plays for Liverpool, wasn’t the only Newcastle United player to be burgled in 2024. Midfielder Joelinton’s Darras Hall home was hit twice that year, although not related to this case. No one has been convicted of those offences.