Isak Burglars Ordered to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Thefts

Burglary suspects
Charlie Jovanovic admitted their involvement in the crimes

Individuals of an Italian family of burglars who stole over £1.2m valued of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, 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 from six and 10 years in 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the group came by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while using another car to scout out properties and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they took over one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino Nikolov was the only one of the group to contest burglary but was found guilty by jurors

The following night, the crew entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they neared their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Alexander Isak's home
Thieves took money and jewelry valued at £80,000 and an Audi from footballer Isak's property

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be served in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not submitted.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example driving around in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount due".

Terry Richards
Terry Richards

A Berlin-based tech enthusiast and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in web development and creative content.