Isak Burglars Instructed to Pay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Heists

Burglary suspects
Charlie Jovanovic confessed to participating in the burglaries

Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took over £1.2m worth of goods, including from former NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of England to raid three houses in April 2024.

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

At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge was told the gang came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they took over one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

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

The next evening, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their phones off as they neared their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Alexander Isak's home
Thieves took cash and jewellery valued at eighty thousand pounds and an car from then-Newcastle United striker Isak's home

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no money 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.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the amount due".

John Newton
John Newton

A film critic with over a decade of experience, specializing in indie cinema and international film festivals.