Alexander Isak Burglars Ordered to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Heists
Individuals of an Italian clan of burglars who stole over £1.2m valued of items, including from former Newcastle United forward Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.
Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie travelled to the northeastern of the UK to raid multiple homes in April 2024.
The foursome were jailed for between six and 10 years in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime proceeding at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must hand over £1,135.
Details of the Break-ins
The court was told the gang came by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute burglaries.
On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.
The next evening, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.
Following surveillance of the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, used gloves and masks, turned their phones off as they approached their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.
Court Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.
At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.
But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no money or assets so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the money was not paid.
The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "recover the sum due".