Alexander Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts
Members of an Italian clan of thieves who took more than £1.2m valued of goods, including from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.
The foursome were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in May 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.
Details of the Break-ins
The judge was told the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham rest stops while utilizing another car to scout out properties and carry out burglaries.
On March 31 they took more than £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.
The following night, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and shoes valued at more than £100,000.
Following surveillance of the football club's facility for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.
The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, used hand coverings and masks, switched their phones off as they neared their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.
Court Hearings and Sentencing
Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas 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 £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.
The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the sum was not paid.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or owning a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the amount due".