Alexander Isak Robbers Instructed to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists

Burglary suspects
Giacomo Nikolov confessed to their involvement in the burglaries

Individuals of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole over £1.2m valued of items, among them from former NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were jailed for from six and 10 years in 2025.

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the gang came by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using another car to search for properties and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they stole more than £1m of items such as designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the sole member of the foursome to contest burglary but was found guilty by jurors

The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player 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 luxury car.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their phones off as they approached their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Alexander Isak's home
Thieves took money and jewellery worth eighty thousand pounds and an car from footballer Alexander Isak's home

Court Hearings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains session, lawyer the prosecution said each of the burglars had benefited from their offenses 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 only one found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no assets or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum outstanding".

Ryan Kelley
Ryan Kelley

Environmental journalist with a decade of experience covering climate science and policy, based in Berlin.