Alexander Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists
Individuals of an Italian clan of thieves who took over £1.2m worth of goods, among them from former NUFC forward Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.
Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in April 2024.
The group of four were jailed for from six and 10 years in May 2025.
At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie must pay £1,135.
Details of the Burglaries
The judge previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute burglaries.
On March 31 they stole more than £1m of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.
The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and shoes worth more than £100,000.
Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring burglars, used hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they neared their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.
Court Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.
At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be served in prison if he defaulted.
The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the result if the sum was not paid.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "for example driving around Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount due".