Alexander Isak Burglars Ordered to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists

Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who stole over £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 each.

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

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The judge was told the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and carry out thefts.

On March 31 they stole over £1m of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The following night, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, valuables and footwear worth over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional touring burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated 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 nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum outstanding".