Alexander Isak Burglars Instructed to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts

Burglary suspects
Charlie Jovanovic confessed to participating in the crimes

Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2m worth of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The court was told the group arrived by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service 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 such as high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino Nikolov was the sole member of the group to contest the charge but was found guilty by jurors

The following night, the crew entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices off as they approached their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Alexander Isak's home
Thieves stole money and jewellery worth £80,000 and an Audi from then-Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak's property

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their crimes 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 only one deemed to have any money that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court heard, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the sum was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "such as operating in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum due".

Amanda Hays
Amanda Hays

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