Alexander Isak Burglars Ordered to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts

Burglary suspects
Charlie Jovanovic admitted participating in the burglaries

Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole over £1.2 million worth of items, including from ex- Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

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

Details of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took over one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino Nikolov was the only one of the foursome to contest burglary but was found guilty by jurors

The next evening, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Alexander Isak's home
Burglars stole money and jewelry valued at £80,000 and an Audi from then-Newcastle United striker 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 criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

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

The judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", the prosecution could seek further action to "recover the amount outstanding".

Benjamin Wright
Benjamin Wright

Lena is a tech journalist and gaming enthusiast with over a decade of experience reviewing hardware and software.