Isak Robbers Instructed to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2m Heists
Individuals of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from former Newcastle United striker Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of England to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for between 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 Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Burglaries
The judge was told the gang came by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while using another car to scout out properties and carry out thefts.
On 31 March they took over one million pounds of items including designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.
The following night, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth more than £100,000.
Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The gang, who were described by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, used gloves and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.
Legal Hearings and Rulings
Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.
At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.
The other three had no assets or property so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.
Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the sum due".
