Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists

Individuals of an Italian family of thieves who stole more than £1.2 million valued of items, including from ex- NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge was told the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out thefts.

On March 31 they took over one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

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

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not submitted.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".