Alexander Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists

Burglary suspects
Jela Jovanovic admitted their involvement in the burglaries

Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who stole over £1.2m valued of goods, including from ex- NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of England to raid multiple homes in April 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for between a decade or less in 2025.

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

Details of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while using another car to scout out targets and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they stole more than one million pounds of items including designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the only one of the group to deny the charge but was convicted by jurors

The following night, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as experienced itinerant burglars, used gloves and masks, turned their mobile devices on silent as they approached their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Alexander Isak's home
Burglars stole cash and jewellery valued at eighty thousand pounds and an car from footballer Alexander Isak's property

Court Hearings and Sentencing

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

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer the prosecution said each of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge heard, with 14 days to be served in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount due".

Gwendolyn Martin
Gwendolyn Martin

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