Burglars who targeted Premier League footballers stole £100,000-worth of goods from a Whitburn home
£100,000-worth of designer goods were stolen from a Whitburn home by burglars who targeted Premier League footballers.
A Whitburn home was raided for £100,000-worth of designer goods by two burglars who also targeted Premier League footballers.
Valentino Nikolov, 34, and his nephew Charlie Jovanovic, 24, travelled from Italy to the UK, researched social media and training grounds and then struck at the homes of Neil Etheridge, Mateus Cunha and Leon Bailey in the Midlands, in 2023.
The raiders were equipped with masks, head torches, gloves and even chemical spray to subdue the owners' dogs.
Newcastle Crown Court heard up to £500,00 worth of designer clothes and jewellery were taken from Cunha's property and around £15,000 from Etheridge's home.
The raiders left Bailey's address without stealing anything after police were alerted by a security system.
Nikolov and Jovanovic are already behind bars for similar raids at affluent homes, including former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak's mansion in April 2024, where £68k bespoke jewellery and 10k cash was taken.
They also targeted a house in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the family were away and stole £1million of high value clothing, handbags, jewellery and coins.
A home on a gated cul-de-sac, in Whitburn, was also raided for £100,000 of designer goods.
Raids were ‘professionally planned’
Prosecutor Anne Richardson said: "They targeted wealthy, professional footballers in Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
"Each was professionally planned by this organised crime group, who travelled from Italy with this specific purpose.
”Victims of these burglaries were identified by the defendants, using social media research and reconnaissance at football training grounds and clubs visited by the defendants.
"The information was used to carryout burglaries while players were playing away for their clubs and obviously known to be playing away."
Burglars face deportation
Nikolov is already serving a ten year sentence and has been given an extra fours years and four months.
Jovanavic, who is currently serving six years and nine months, got an extra two years and four months.
Judge Robert Spragg told them: "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."
Both men, who admitted conspiracy to burgle, now face deportation.
The court heard both have worked hard in custody while serving their current sentences, have references about their good behaviour and have shown remorse.