Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists

Members of an Italian clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million worth of items, including from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.

The foursome were jailed for between six and 10 years in 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while using another car to scout out targets and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they took over one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, used hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices on silent as they approached their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

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

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a fast car or owning a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the amount due".