Isak Robbers Ordered to Pay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Thefts
Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole over £1.2m worth of goods, among them from former NUFC striker Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 each.
Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie travelled to the north-east of the UK to burgle three houses in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for from six and 10 years in 2025.
At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Details of the Break-ins
The judge previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using a separate vehicle to scout out targets and carry out burglaries.
On March 31 they took over £1m of goods including designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were away.
The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.
Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, used hand coverings and masks, turned their phones on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.
Legal Hearings and Rulings
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the same charge.
At the criminal gains session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.
The other three had no assets or assets so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the result if the money was not paid.
The judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example driving around in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the sum outstanding".