Alexander Isak Robbers Instructed to Pay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Thefts
Members of an Italian clan of thieves who stole over £1.2m worth of goods, among them from former NUFC striker Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 each.
Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to burgle three houses in April 2024.
The foursome were jailed for between a decade or less in 2025.
At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.
Details of the Break-ins
The judge was told the gang came by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and execute burglaries.
On 31 March they took more than one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.
The following night, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at over £100,000.
After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The group, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, used gloves and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.
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 submitted admissions to the identical accusation.
At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.
But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.
The remaining members had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the sum was not submitted.
Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example driving around Italy in a sports car or owning a property", the prosecution could seek further action to "recover the sum due".