Isak Robbers Ordered to Repay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts
Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole over £1.2 million valued of goods, including from ex- Newcastle United forward Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 each.
Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of the UK to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for from a decade or less in May 2025.
At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The judge previously heard the group arrived by boat 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 rest stops while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out thefts.
On 31 March they stole over £1m of goods including designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.
The next evening, the gang entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, jewellery and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the residence of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.
The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, wore gloves and masks, turned their phones off as they approached their targets and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.
Legal Hearings and Sentencing
Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.
At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.
The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not submitted.
Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example driving around Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the sum outstanding".
