Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts
Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who took over £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from ex- NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.
Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the north-east of the UK to raid multiple homes in April 2024.
The foursome were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in May 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Details of the Burglaries
The judge previously heard the group came by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for properties and execute burglaries.
On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.
The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, used gloves and masks, switched their phones off as they approached their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.
Court Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.
At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated 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 ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the money was not paid.
Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the sum due".
