Isak Burglars Instructed to Pay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Thefts

Burglary suspects
Jela Jovanovic confessed to participating in the burglaries

Individuals of an Italian family of burglars who took more than £1.2 million valued of items, including from former NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the north-east of the UK to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

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

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge was told the gang came by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took over £1m of goods including high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the only one of the group to deny the charge but was found guilty by the jury

The following night, the crew entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced touring thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they neared their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Alexander Isak's home
Burglars took money and jewellery valued at eighty thousand pounds and an car from footballer Alexander Isak's property

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

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

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor the prosecution 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 only one found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "for example operating in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".

Katie Miles
Katie Miles

A passionate esports journalist and gamer, Lena shares in-depth analysis and tips to help players level up their skills.