Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Heists

Burglary suspects
Giacomo Nikolov confessed to participating in the crimes

Members of an Italian family of thieves who stole more than £1.2 million worth of items, including from former Newcastle United striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The court was told the gang arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing another car to search for properties and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they stole over one million pounds of items such as designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the only one of the group to deny the charge but was convicted by jurors

The following night, the crew entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth over £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Alexander Isak's home
Burglars stole cash and jewelry worth eighty thousand pounds and an car from then-Newcastle United striker Isak's home

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no money or assets so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the result if the money was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "satisfy the sum outstanding".

Omar Wheeler
Omar Wheeler

Elara is a historian and writer with a passion for uncovering forgotten stories from ancient civilizations.