Isak Robbers Ordered to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts
Members of an Italy-based clan of thieves who took more than £1.2 million worth of goods, including from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.
Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid multiple homes in April 2024.
The group of four were imprisoned for between a decade or less in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.
Particulars of the Burglaries
The judge previously heard the group came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for targets and carry out thefts.
On 31 March they took over one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.
The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth more than £100,000.
Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.
The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their phones on silent as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.
Legal Hearings and Rulings
Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.
At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be served in jail if he failed to pay.
The other three had no money or property so were ordered to make a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the money was not paid.
The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as driving around Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "recover the amount due".
