Isak Burglars Instructed to Pay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists
Individuals of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole over £1.2 million worth of items, among them from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle three houses in April 2024.
The foursome were imprisoned for from a decade or less in May 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Burglaries
The judge was told the group came by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing another car to search for targets and carry out burglaries.
On March 31 they stole over £1m 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.
The following night, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth over £100,000.
After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.
The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.
Legal Hearings and Rulings
Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the same charge.
At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no money or property so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the sum was not paid.
The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount outstanding".