Isak Burglars Ordered to Repay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists
Members of an Italian clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2m worth of goods, among them from former NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.
Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.
The foursome were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in May 2025.
At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The judge previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used 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 targets and carry out burglaries.
On March 31 they took more than £1m of goods including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.
The following night, the crew entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth more than £100,000.
After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the same charge.
At the criminal gains session, lawyer the prosecution said each of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, 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 "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be served in prison if he failed to pay.
The other three had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the result if the money was not submitted.
Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as driving around in Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the amount outstanding".