Alexander Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Thefts
Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole over £1.2m worth of items, including from former Newcastle United forward Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 per person.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of the UK to burgle three houses in spring 2024.
The group of four were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.
Details of the Burglaries
The judge previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out thefts.
On March 31 they took more than £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.
The following night, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear worth over one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The gang, who were described by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, used hand coverings and masks, turned their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.
Court Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.
But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no assets or assets so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the sum due".