Alexander Isak Robbers Ordered to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists
Members of an Italian family of burglars who took over £1.2m worth of items, among them from ex- NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.
Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle three houses in April 2024.
The foursome were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Burglaries
The court previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute burglaries.
On 31 March they took over £1m of items such as designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.
The following night, the gang entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, valuables and footwear valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.
Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The gang, who were described by the prosecution as experienced itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.
Legal Hearings and Rulings
Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the criminal gains session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the only one found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court was informed, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.
The other three had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not submitted.
Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the amount outstanding".