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

Burglary suspects
Jela Jovanovic confessed to participating in the burglaries

Individuals of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole more than £1.2m worth of items, including from former Newcastle United forward Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her son Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to raid multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole over one million pounds of items such as designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino Nikolov was the only one of the group to deny the charge but was convicted by jurors

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and footwear valued at over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's facility for two days, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional touring burglars, wore gloves and masks, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.

Alexander Isak's home
Burglars stole money and jewellery worth £80,000 and an Audi from footballer Isak's property

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered 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 offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

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

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "recover the amount outstanding".

Gregory Howard
Gregory Howard

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