Isak burglar family to pay £1 back from £1.2m thefts

Members of an Italian family of burglars who stole more than £1.2m worth of goods, including from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back £1 each.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of England to raid three houses in April 2024.

The foursome were jailed for between six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.

The court previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their “base of operations”, which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while using another car to scout out targets and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of goods including designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth more than £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United’s training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the striker’s £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, wore gloves and masks, switched their phones off as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of is £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any money that could be “realised”, namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be served in prison if he defaulted.

The other three 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 money was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, “for example driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a property”, prosecutors could seek new proceedings to “satisfy the amount outstanding”.