Isak Burglars Instructed to Pay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists
Members of an Italian clan of thieves who stole more than £1.2 million valued of goods, including from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 each.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.
The foursome were imprisoned for between a decade or less in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The court previously heard the gang came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service stations while using another car to search for targets and carry out thefts.
On 31 March they took more than £1m of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.
The following night, the crew entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.
Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, wore gloves and masks, switched their phones off as they neared their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.
Legal Hearings and Rulings
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be served in prison if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no money or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the money was not paid.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek further action to "satisfy the sum due".