Alexander Isak Robbers Instructed to Pay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists
Members of an Italian family of burglars who took over £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.
Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of England to raid multiple homes in April 2024.
The foursome were imprisoned for between a decade or less in 2025.
At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie must hand over £1,135.
Details of the Break-ins
The judge previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using another car to scout out properties and carry out burglaries.
On March 31 they stole more than £1m of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.
The following night, the gang entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth over £100,000.
Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.
Legal Hearings and Rulings
Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the criminal gains session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.
But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in prison the result if the money was not paid.
The judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the sum outstanding".