Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts
Members of an Italian clan of burglars who stole over £1.2 million worth of goods, including from former NUFC forward Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 per person.
Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie travelled to the northeastern of England to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.
The group of four were jailed for between a decade or less in 2025.
At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.
Details of the Burglaries
The court previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to scout out properties and carry out thefts.
On 31 March they took over one million pounds of goods including high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.
The following night, the crew entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at more than £100,000.
Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The gang, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their phones 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 car with rubber straps.
They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.
Legal Hearings and Sentencing
Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the same charge.
At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer the prosecution said each of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.
But Charlie was the only one found to have any funds that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no assets or assets so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in prison the result if the money was not submitted.
Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the amount due".
