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

Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took over £1.2m valued of goods, including from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

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

The group of four were jailed for between six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Break-ins

The judge was told the group arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they stole over one million pounds of items including designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.

The following night, the crew entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, valuables and footwear valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, used hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants 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 already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with 14 days to be served in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or property so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "recover the sum outstanding".