Alexander Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Heists
Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who took more than £1.2m worth of goods, among them from former Newcastle United forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.
Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of the UK to raid multiple homes in April 2024.
The group of four were imprisoned for from a decade or less in May 2025.
At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.
Details of the Break-ins
The court previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to scout out properties and execute thefts.
On March 31 they stole more than £1m of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.
The next evening, the crew broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at over £100,000.
After scouting out 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, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's £120,000 luxury car.
The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.
Court Hearings and Sentencing
Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the criminal gains session, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties 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 previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.
The other three had no assets or property so were ordered to make a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.
Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "such as driving around in Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".