Alexander Isak Robbers Instructed to Pay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts
Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole over £1.2 million valued of goods, including from former Newcastle United forward Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of England to raid multiple homes in April 2024.
The foursome were jailed for from six and 10 years in 2025.
At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.
Particulars of the Burglaries
The judge was told the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to scout out targets and carry out burglaries.
On 31 March they took over one million pounds of goods including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.
The following night, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at more than £100,000.
After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then struck at the home of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.
The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their phones on silent as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.
Legal Hearings and Rulings
Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the same charge.
At the criminal gains session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no assets or property so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.
The judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "such as operating in Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the amount due".