Isak Robbers Ordered to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts
Individuals of an Italian family of burglars who stole over £1.2 million worth of goods, including from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.
Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of the UK to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for from six and 10 years in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.
Details of the Break-ins
The judge previously heard the group came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham rest stops while utilizing another car to search for targets and carry out thefts.
On March 31 they stole more than one million pounds of goods including designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.
The following night, the gang broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.
The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, used hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.
Legal Hearings and Rulings
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.
The other three had no money or property so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum due".