Alexander Isak Robbers Ordered to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts

Members of an Italian family of thieves who stole over £1.2 million worth of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of England to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for between a decade or less in May 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to scout out targets and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they took more than one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.

The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional touring burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and strapped 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 April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses 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 "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or assets so were ordered to make a token amount of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example driving around Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".