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

Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who took more than £1.2m valued of items, among them from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie journeyed to the north-east of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Break-ins

The judge was told the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using another car to scout out targets and carry out thefts.

On March 31 they stole more than one million pounds of goods including designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The following night, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced itinerant thieves, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be served in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not submitted.

The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the sum outstanding".