Alexander Isak Robbers Ordered to Pay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts

Individuals of an Italian clan of thieves who took over £1.2m valued of goods, including from former NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

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

The group of four were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in 2025.

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The court was told the group came by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.

The next evening, the crew broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear worth over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring thieves, used gloves and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested 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 guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge heard, with two weeks to be served in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a sports car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum outstanding".