Alexander Isak Robbers Instructed to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists

Burglary suspects
Charlie Jovanovic confessed to participating in the crimes

Individuals of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took over £1.2m valued of goods, among them from former NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 per person.

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

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

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

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the group came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the sole member of the foursome to deny the charge but was convicted by jurors

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

Following surveillance of the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their phones on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Alexander Isak's home
Thieves stole money and jewellery valued at eighty thousand pounds and an car from footballer Isak's home

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in prison the result if the money was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "for example driving around in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could seek further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".

Darryl Wallace
Darryl Wallace

A seasoned casino analyst with over a decade of experience in slot machine mechanics and gaming strategies.