Alexander Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts
Members of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole over £1.2m worth of goods, including from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.
Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of the UK to burgle three houses in spring 2024.
The foursome were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.
Details of the Burglaries
The judge previously heard the gang came by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to scout out targets and execute burglaries.
On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.
The following night, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth more than £100,000.
After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they neared their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.
Legal Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.
The remaining members had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not submitted.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the amount outstanding".