Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts

Individuals of an Italian clan of thieves who took over £1.2m worth of items, including from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling 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 imprisoned for between a decade or less in 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute thefts.

On 31 March they took over one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, used hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or property so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not submitted.

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