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

Burglary suspects
Jela Jovanovic confessed to their involvement in the crimes

Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took more than £1.2m worth of goods, including from former NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in spring 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie 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 campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and execute thefts.

On 31 March they took over one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the sole member of the group to contest burglary but was found guilty by the jury

The next evening, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at more than £100,000.

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

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, used hand coverings and masks, turned their phones on silent as they neared their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Alexander Isak's home
Thieves stole cash and jewelry worth eighty thousand pounds and an car from then-Newcastle United striker Isak's property

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

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

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be served in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or assets so were directed to pay a token amount 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 assets in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum outstanding".

James Reid
James Reid

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