Isak Robbers Ordered to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists

Members of an Italian clan of burglars who took more than £1.2 million valued of items, among them from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of the UK to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out targets and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they stole over £1m of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear worth more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, used gloves and masks, turned their mobile devices on silent as they approached their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "recover the sum outstanding".