Alexander Isak Robbers Ordered to Pay Just £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts

Burglary suspects
Charlie Jovanovic confessed to their involvement in the burglaries

Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who took more than £1.2m worth of goods, among them from former Newcastle United forward Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her child Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to raid multiple homes in April 2024.

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

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

Details of the Break-ins

The judge was told the gang came by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service stations while using another car to search for targets and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they took more than one million pounds of goods including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the sole member of the group to deny the charge but was convicted by the jury

The following night, the crew broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, valuables and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced touring thieves, used gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Alexander Isak's home
Thieves took cash and jewellery worth eighty thousand pounds and an car from footballer Isak's home

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer the prosecution said each of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the result if the money was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "for example driving around Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the amount due".

Michael Rios
Michael Rios

A lifestyle curator and wellness advocate with a passion for minimalist luxury and sustainable living practices.