Alexander Isak Robbers Ordered to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists
Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2m valued of items, including from former Newcastle United striker Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.
Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.
The group of four were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in 2025.
At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.
Details of the Break-ins
The judge was told the group came by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while using another car to search for properties and execute thefts.
On 31 March they took over one million pounds of items such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.
The following night, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, valuables and footwear valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.
The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the criminal gains session, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.
The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not submitted.
Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example operating in Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".