Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Only £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts
Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took over £1.2 million valued of goods, among them from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 per person.
Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.
The foursome were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The judge previously heard the group arrived by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for properties and execute burglaries.
On 31 March they stole over one million pounds of goods including designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.
The next evening, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth over £100,000.
Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.
The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their phones off as they approached their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.
Legal Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.
At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be served 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 seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not paid.
The judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "such as driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a property", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "recover the amount outstanding".
