Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts
Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who took over £1.2 million valued of items, including from ex- NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 per person.
Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of the UK to burgle three houses in spring 2024.
The group of four were jailed for from a decade or less in 2025.
At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Burglaries
The judge previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute burglaries.
On March 31 they stole over one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.
The following night, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and shoes valued at over £100,000.
After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.
At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.
But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he defaulted.
The other three had no money or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the sum was not paid.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as operating Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "satisfy the sum outstanding".
