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

Individuals of an Italian clan of thieves who took over £1.2m valued of goods, including from ex- Newcastle United forward Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

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

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while using another car to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the amount outstanding".