Alexander Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Thefts
Individuals of an Italian clan of burglars who stole over £1.2m worth of goods, among them from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.
Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of the UK to burgle three houses in spring 2024.
The group of four were jailed for from a decade or less in May 2025.
At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Burglaries
The judge previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham rest stops while using a separate vehicle to scout out targets and execute burglaries.
On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.
The following night, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, used gloves and face coverings, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.
Court Hearings and Rulings
Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.
At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be served in prison if he defaulted.
The other three had no money or property so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 each, 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 Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum due".
