Isak Burglars Ordered to Pay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists

Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who stole over £1.2 million valued of goods, including from ex- Newcastle United forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

The group of four were jailed for from a decade or less in May 2025.

At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The court was told the gang arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to search for targets and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they took over £1m of items such as designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the gang entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, valuables and footwear worth over £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced touring thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they approached their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or assets so were ordered to make a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not paid.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount due".