Alexander Isak Robbers Ordered to Pay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Thefts

Burglary suspects
Jela Jovanovic admitted participating in the burglaries

Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2 million worth of items, among them from former NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie travelled to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge was told the gang came by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they took over one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the sole member of the group to contest the charge but was found guilty by jurors

The following night, the crew broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their phones on silent as they neared their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Alexander Isak's home
Burglars took money and jewellery valued at £80,000 and an car from footballer Alexander Isak's property

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor the prosecution said every one 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 lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or assets so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the result if the money was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as operating in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the amount outstanding".

Neil James
Neil James

A tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and their impact on society.