Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Heists

Individuals of an Italy-based family of burglars who took more than £1.2m valued of goods, including from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to raid multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were jailed for between six and 10 years in 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out targets and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they took more than £1m of goods including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry 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 private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and shoes valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then struck at the residence of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Hearings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the result if the sum was not submitted.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "such as operating Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the amount due".