Alexander Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists
Members of an Italy-based clan of thieves who took more than £1.2 million valued of items, among them from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 each.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of the UK to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.
The group of four were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime proceeding at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.
Details of the Burglaries
The judge was told the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to scout out properties and carry out thefts.
On March 31 they took over one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.
The next evening, the gang entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.
Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.
The gang, who were described by the prosecution as experienced touring thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, switched their phones off as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.
Court Hearings and Rulings
Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.
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 14 days to be served in jail if he defaulted.
The other three had no money or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in prison the result if the money was not paid.
Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as driving around in Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "recover the sum outstanding".