Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2m Heists
Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole over £1.2m valued of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.
Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for between six and 10 years in May 2025.
At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must hand over £1,135.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The judge previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and carry out burglaries.
On March 31 they took over one million pounds of items including designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.
The next evening, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, valuables and shoes valued at over £100,000.
After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The gang, who were described by the prosecution as experienced touring thieves, used gloves and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.
Court Hearings and Rulings
Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.
At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.
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 was informed, with two weeks to be served in jail if he defaulted.
The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not submitted.
The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum due".