Isak Burglars Ordered to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists

Burglary suspects
Giacomo Nikolov admitted participating in the crimes

Individuals of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took more than £1.2m valued of goods, including from former NUFC striker Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in spring 2024.

The group of four were jailed for between a decade or less in 2025.

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

Details of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the group arrived by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to search for targets and execute thefts.

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 residents were away.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino Nikolov was the sole member of the foursome to contest the charge but was convicted by the jury

The following night, the crew entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, 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 garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

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

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer the prosecution said each of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "for example driving around Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the amount outstanding".

Felicia Richard
Felicia Richard

A tech enthusiast and gaming strategist with over a decade of experience in digital content creation and community building.

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