Alexander Isak Burglars Ordered to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists
Members of an Italian clan of burglars who stole over £1.2 million worth of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United striker Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 each.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to raid three houses in April 2024.
The group of four were jailed for between six and 10 years in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Burglaries
The court was told the group arrived by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while using another car to search for properties and carry out burglaries.
On March 31 they took more than £1m of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were away.
The next evening, the crew entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth over £100,000.
After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.
The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.
Court Hearings and Sentencing
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be served in prison if he defaulted.
The other three had no money or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not submitted.
The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the sum outstanding".