Alexander Isak Burglars Ordered to Pay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Heists
Individuals of an Italian clan of thieves who stole over £1.2m valued of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 per person.
Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to raid three houses in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for between six and 10 years in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The court was told the gang came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and carry out burglaries.
On 31 March they took over one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.
The next evening, the crew entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, valuables and footwear valued at over £100,000.
Following surveillance of the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.
The group, who were described by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, wore gloves and masks, switched their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.
Legal Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.
At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with two weeks to be served in jail if he failed to pay.
The remaining members had no assets or assets so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not submitted.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or owning a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".