Isak Robbers Instructed to Pay Just £1 Each from £1.2m Heists
Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2m worth of items, among them from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 each.
Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for between a decade or less in May 2025.
At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.
Details of the Break-ins
The judge previously heard the group arrived 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 rest stops while using a separate vehicle to scout out targets and carry out burglaries.
On 31 March they stole more than £1m of items including high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were away.
The following night, the crew broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.
The group, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their phones off as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.
At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no money 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 discovered with assets in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the amount due".