Isak Burglars Instructed to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts

Burglary suspects
Jela Jovanovic admitted participating in the burglaries

Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took over £1.2m worth of items, among them from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of England to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in 2025.

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

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", 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 took over one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.

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 home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional itinerant burglars, used hand coverings and face coverings, switched their phones on silent as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Alexander Isak's home
Burglars took money and jewelry valued at eighty thousand pounds and an Audi from then-Newcastle United striker Isak's home

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains session, lawyer the prosecution said every one 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 found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no money or assets so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount due".

Joseph Roberts
Joseph Roberts

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