Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists
Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2m worth of goods, including from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 per person.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for between a decade or less in May 2025.
At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The judge previously heard the gang came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to scout out targets and execute burglaries.
On March 31 they took more than £1m of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.
The next evening, the crew broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth over £100,000.
After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a license 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 on 13 April.
Legal Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no assets or property so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.
Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the sum due".