Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts
Individuals of an Italian clan of thieves who stole over £1.2m worth of items, among them from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 each.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of the UK to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for from six and 10 years in May 2025.
At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The judge previously heard the group came by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to search for targets and carry out burglaries.
On 31 March they stole over one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.
The next evening, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth more than £100,000.
Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The group, who were described by the prosecution as experienced itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.
At the criminal gains session, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.
The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.
Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as operating in Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the amount due".
