Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts
Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who took more than £1.2m valued of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United striker Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.
Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.
The foursome were imprisoned for between a decade or less in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Details of the Burglaries
The court was told the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to scout out targets and execute thefts.
On 31 March they stole over one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.
The next evening, the crew entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.
The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring thieves, used gloves and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they neared their objectives 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 apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.
Legal Hearings and Sentencing
Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.
At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.
The other three had no money or property so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not submitted.
Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount due".
