Alexander Isak Burglars Instructed to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists

Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2m worth of goods, including from former NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of England to raid multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for between a decade or less in May 2025.

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the group came by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute thefts.

On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their phones off as they approached their targets 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 arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the judge heard, with 14 days to be served in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the result if the sum was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the sum outstanding".