Isak Robbers Instructed to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists
Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who took more than £1.2m worth of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of the UK to burgle three houses in spring 2024.
The foursome were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in May 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.
Details of the Break-ins
The court was told the group came by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out thefts.
On 31 March they took over one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were away.
The next evening, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth over one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, used gloves and masks, turned their phones off as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.
At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars 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 only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not paid.
Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the amount due".
