Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts

Burglary suspects
Jela Jovanovic admitted their involvement in the burglaries

Members of an Italian clan of burglars who took more than £1.2m valued of goods, including from former NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 each.

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

The foursome were imprisoned for between a decade or less in 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Details of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the group came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the sole member of the foursome to contest the charge but was convicted by the jury

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

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced itinerant burglars, wore gloves and masks, turned their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Alexander Isak's home
Burglars stole cash and jewelry valued at eighty thousand pounds and an Audi from then-Newcastle United striker Isak's property

Court Hearings and Rulings

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the result if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could seek further action to "satisfy the amount due".

Jerome Baldwin
Jerome Baldwin

Elara is a seasoned traveler and writer who shares insights from her global adventures to help others explore the world confidently.