Alexander Isak of Newcastle United
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United
A man has denied being part of a professional burglary gang who targeted Alexander Isak's home and stole goods worth more than £1m from a Newcastle couple.
The Newcastle United star's home in Darras Hall was targeted in a series of high value heists by a team of burglars, Newcastle Crown Court has heard. Businesswoman Helen McArdle and her husband lost property worth more than £1m during a raid on their Jesmond house while they were on holiday.
Three members of the same family - Giacomo Nikolov, his sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic - who had been living in Italy, have admitted conspiracy to commit burglary, the court heard. A fourth family member, Valentino Nikolov, 32, denies the charge and is standing trial.
With Nikolov in the witness box giving evidence in his own defence, prosecutor Dan Cordey asked him: "Each time, the burglary was committed by three men - Charlie, Giacomo - who was the third man?" Speaking through an Italian interpreter, Nikolov replied: "Ask Charlie and Giacomo."
Asked whether he had asked them, he said he had and added: "They said it was their friend." Mr Cordey said: "So there was a man wearing identical clothing to you and it was their friend? That's nonsense isn't it?"
Nikolov said: "Do you know Charlie and Giacomo used clothes that were identical to mine or very very similar? Maybe they loaned them to their friend and that's what happened."
Mr Cordey put it to Nikolov that he was "part of a professional burglary team" who travelled far from their homes and tried to leave as little trace as possible. He replied: "No that's not the case."
As we reported previously, Mr Isak told how he returned home to find his car, expensive jewellery and bags of cash had been stolen on April 4 last year after he had been out from 4pm until 10pm. He said he found a glass door had been smashed and personal property was strewn around.
Mr Isak added: “Upstairs in a bedroom I keep cash in bags and this had been stolen. This was £5,000 to £10,000 in cash in notes and coins.” Mr Isak said a metal safe had been stolen from one of the bedrooms but he said that had been left by a previous tenant and he didn’t know what, if anything, it contained as he had not been able to gain access to it
He added that his Audi RS6 estate and its keys were stolen. In a second statement, Mr Isak said he had identified that jewellery had been stolen from the main bedroom. He said: “This was bespoke jewellery with an approximate value of £68,000.” He said the men's jewellery included necklaces, bracelets and rings.
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A statement was also read from businesswoman Helen McArdle, whose four-storey home in Jesmond was burgled while she and her husband were on holiday in Spain. She said the offenders “stole a large amount of items”, including jewellery, watches, handbags and clothing.
They also took a safe which contained her CBE, which she said is “irreplaceable”, and gold coins. Mrs McArdle said the estimated value of the stolen items is more than £1m. She listed various items which were stolen, including watches worth up to £50,000 each, a diamond ring worth more than £100,000, a diamond pendant worth £35,000 and diamond earrings worth £45,000.
Nikolov, of Tew Park Road, Birmingham, denies conspiracy to commit burglary. His brother Giacomo Nikolov, 28, his sister Jela Jovanovic, 43, and her son Charlie Jovanovic, 23, who all reside in Italy, have admitted conspiracy to commit burglary.
Safet Ramic, who is the 58-year-old father of Valentino Nikolov's former partner, and who is from Winson Street, Birmingham, denies handling stolen goods. The trial continues.
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