Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists
Members of an Italian family of thieves who stole over £1.2m worth of items, including from ex- Newcastle United striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.
Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for from a decade or less in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The court was told the group came by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham rest stops while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out thefts.
On March 31 they stole more than one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.
The next evening, the crew broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and shoes valued at over £100,000.
After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their mobile devices on silent as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.
Court Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.
At the criminal gains hearing, 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 victims said they had lost.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be served in jail if he defaulted.
The other three had no money or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the sum was not submitted.
Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the sum due".