Isak Robbers Ordered to Repay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2m Thefts
Members of an Italian clan of burglars who stole over £1.2 million valued of goods, among them from former Newcastle United forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.
The foursome were jailed for between six and 10 years in May 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Details of the Break-ins
The court was told the group came by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out thefts.
On 31 March they took over £1m of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.
The following night, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at more than £100,000.
After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, wore gloves and masks, turned their phones on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.
Legal Hearings and Sentencing
Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.
At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.
The remaining members had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not submitted.
Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as operating in Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the sum outstanding".