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

Burglary suspects
Giacomo Nikolov admitted their involvement in the crimes

Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who took more than £1.2m valued of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east 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 proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

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 a service area and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they stole more than one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino Nikolov was the only one of the foursome to contest the charge but was found guilty by the jury

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

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Alexander Isak's home
Thieves took money and jewelry valued at eighty thousand pounds and an Audi from footballer Alexander Isak's home

Court Hearings and Rulings

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "recover the amount due".

Charles Alvarez
Charles Alvarez

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