Isak Burglars Ordered to Pay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts

Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole more than £1.2m worth of items, among them from ex- NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court was told the group came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using another car to search for properties and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and shoes worth more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the residence of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring thieves, used gloves and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be served in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no assets or assets so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "for example driving around in Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".