Man found guilty of burgling home of Alexander Isak – Prison is inevitable | OneFootball

A man has been found guilty of burgling the home of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak.

The offence taking place in April 2024.

Valentino Nikolov was one of a professional gang of burglars who stole more than £1m worth of items from three homes in the north-east, including that of Alexander Isak.

After the jury found the accused guilty, the judge has said prison is inevitable for Nikolov.

‘A man has been found guilty of burgling three wealthy homes, including that of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak.

Valentino Nikolov, 32, was part of a professional gang of touring burglars which stole more than £1m worth of goods from three homes in the north-east of England, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

His sister, brother and nephew had previously admitted burgling the homes, with the gang to be sentenced at a future date.

A fifth man, 58-year-old Safet Ramic from Birmingham, was found not guilty of handling stolen goods.

Nikolov, of Tew Park Road, Birmingham, had represented himself during the trial with the aid of an Italian interpreter.

Jurors took less than two hours of deliberation to find him guilty.

The gang travelled to the North East three times from the Birmingham area to commit the crimes in April last year, the trial had heard.

They stole £1m worth of valuables, including a CBE medal, from a home in Jesmond, Newcastle, and designer shoes, handbags and jewellery worth £100,000 from a house in Whitburn, South Tyneside.

On 4 April, they broke into Mr Isak’s home in Darras Hall, Ponteland, at about 20:00 BST, with the striker discovering the break in when he returned two hours later.

A glass door had been smashed and an “untidy search” of his home carried out, with up to £10,000 in cash and jewellery worth £68,000 stolen, the court heard.

The haul included bespoke men’s bracelets, necklaces and rings from Frost of London, while the star’s Audi RS6 estate car was taken and later found abandoned.

The gang also took a safe that had been left by a previous occupant but it was empty.

Judge Robert Spragg said prison would be “inevitable” but he needed more information about Nikolov and his associates before determining their sentence.

Nikolov’s brother Giacomo Nikolov, 28, their sister Jela Jovanoic, 43, and her son Charlie Jovanovic, 23 – who all reside in Italy – previously admitted conspiracy to commit burglary.

A pet camera in Mr Isak’s living room captured Giacomo moving around the room, with him being identified in part by a distinctive PSG logo on his tracksuit bottoms.