Isak Robbers Ordered to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Thefts
Individuals of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole over £1.2m worth of goods, including from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 per person.
Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to raid three houses in April 2024.
The group of four were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in May 2025.
At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The court previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service rest stops while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and carry out thefts.
On March 31 they stole over one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.
The next evening, the gang entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at more than £100,000.
Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's £120,000 luxury car.
The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, used gloves and face coverings, turned their phones off as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.
Court Hearings and Sentencing
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.
At the criminal gains session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.
But Charlie was the only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be served in prison if he failed to pay.
The remaining members had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the money was not submitted.
Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "such as driving around Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate further action to "satisfy the sum due".