Isak Robbers Instructed to Pay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists

Members of an Italian clan of thieves who stole over £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from ex- NUFC 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 north-east of England to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the gang came by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham rest stops while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and execute thefts.

On March 31 they took over £1m of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

The next evening, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced touring burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

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

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be served in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or property so were ordered to make a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not paid.

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