Alexander Isak Burglars Ordered to Repay Only £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts
Members of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole more than £1.2m valued of goods, including from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 per person.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.
The group of four were jailed for from six and 10 years in May 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.
Details of the Burglaries
The court was told the group came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using another car to search for targets and carry out thefts.
On 31 March they stole over £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.
The next evening, the crew entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.
Court Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.
At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be served in prison if he failed to pay.
The other three had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not paid.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the amount outstanding".