Alexander Isak Robbers Ordered to Pay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Thefts
Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who took more than £1.2m valued of items, including from former Newcastle United striker Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for between six and 10 years in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.
Particulars of the Burglaries
The court previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out thefts.
On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.
The next evening, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.
Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional touring burglars, wore gloves and masks, switched their phones off as they approached their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the criminal gains session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court was informed, with two weeks to be served in jail if he defaulted.
The other three had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not submitted.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the amount outstanding".