Isak Robbers Ordered to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists

Burglary suspects
Jela Jovanovic confessed to their involvement in the burglaries

Members of an Italian family of thieves who took more than £1.2m worth of goods, among them from former Newcastle United forward Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to raid three houses in spring 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for from a decade or less in 2025.

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

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

On 31 March they took more than one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino Nikolov was the sole member of the foursome to contest the charge but was found guilty by jurors

The next evening, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, used gloves and face coverings, switched their mobile devices on silent 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 elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Alexander Isak's home
Thieves stole cash and jewelry valued at eighty thousand pounds and an Audi from footballer Alexander Isak's property

Court Hearings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The other three had no assets or property so were ordered to make 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 found with property in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".

Sherry Patel
Sherry Patel

Cybersecurity specialist with over a decade of experience in threat analysis and digital defense strategies.