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

Individuals of an Italian clan of thieves who took more than £1.2m worth of items, among them from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 each.

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

The foursome were imprisoned for from a decade or less in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the group arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they took more than one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then acted at the residence of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, used gloves and masks, switched their phones off as they approached their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested 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 same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

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

Judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the sum due".