Alexander Isak Burglars Instructed to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts
Individuals of an Italian family of thieves who took more than £1.2m worth of goods, including from former NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 each.
Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to raid three houses in April 2024.
The group of four were jailed for between a decade or less in 2025.
At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The court previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing another car to search for properties and execute burglaries.
On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of goods including high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.
The following night, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at more than £100,000.
Following surveillance of the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their phones off as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.
Court Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all entered admissions 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 determined by what the victims said they had lost.
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 served in jail if he defaulted.
The other three had no money or property so were ordered to make a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.
The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".