Alexander Isak Robbers Ordered to Pay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists

Burglary suspects
Giacomo Nikolov admitted their involvement in the crimes

Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole over £1.2m valued of items, including from former Newcastle United forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

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

The group of four were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the gang came by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using another car to search for targets and carry out thefts.

On March 31 they stole over £1m of items including high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the only one of the foursome to deny burglary but was convicted by the jury

The next evening, the gang entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional itinerant burglars, used gloves and face coverings, turned their phones off as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Alexander Isak's home
Burglars stole money and jewelry valued at eighty thousand pounds and an car from footballer Isak's home

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the burglars had benefited from their crimes 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 sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in prison the result if the money was not paid.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a fast car or owning a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the amount due".

Brian Valdez
Brian Valdez

Wildlife biologist and sloth conservation advocate with over a decade of field research in Central and South American rainforests.