Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2m Thefts

Individuals of an Italian family of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million worth of items, including from former NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 each.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of the UK to raid three houses in spring 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in 2025.

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

Details of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham rest stops while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute thefts.

On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

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

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then struck at the residence of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the amount due".