Isak Robbers Instructed to Pay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts

Burglary suspects
Jela Jovanovic admitted participating in the burglaries

Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who took more than £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from former Newcastle United forward Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in April 2024.

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

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

Details of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the group came by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino Nikolov was the only one of the group to contest burglary but was convicted by jurors

The following night, the crew broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, valuables and shoes valued at over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, used gloves and face coverings, turned their phones off as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Alexander Isak's home
Thieves took cash and jewellery valued at £80,000 and an car from then-Newcastle United striker Isak's property

Court Hearings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the result if the sum was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount due".

Sharon Wang
Sharon Wang

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in casino technology and slot machine trends.