Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Heists

Members of an Italian family of thieves who took more than £1.2m valued of goods, among them from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

The foursome were jailed for from six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the gang came by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to search for properties and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they took over £1m of goods including designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, valuables and footwear worth more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or property so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as driving around Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".