Isak Burglars Ordered to Pay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts
Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole over £1.2m valued of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 each.
Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in April 2024.
The foursome were imprisoned for from a decade or less in May 2025.
At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.
Details of the Burglaries
The judge previously heard the group arrived by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing another car to scout out properties and execute thefts.
On 31 March they took over £1m of goods including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.
The following night, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and footwear worth over one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.
At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.
But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.
The other three had no money or property so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the money was not submitted.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the amount due".