Isak Burglars Instructed to Pay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Thefts
Individuals of an Italian clan of burglars who took more than £1.2 million valued of items, among them from former NUFC striker Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 each.
Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for from a decade or less in May 2025.
At a proceeds of crime proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.
Details of the Burglaries
The judge was told the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to scout out targets and carry out burglaries.
On 31 March they stole over £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.
The following night, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.
Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant thieves, used hand coverings and masks, switched their phones off as they neared their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.
At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey 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 affected parties said they had lost.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.
The other three had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the amount outstanding".