Alexander Isak Burglars Ordered to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts

Burglary suspects
Giacomo Nikolov confessed to their involvement in the crimes

Individuals of an Italian clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2m valued of goods, including from ex- Newcastle United striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.

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

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the gang came by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute thefts.

On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the only one of the group to deny burglary but was found guilty by jurors

The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, used hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they neared their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Alexander Isak's home
Thieves took cash and jewelry worth eighty thousand pounds and an Audi from footballer Isak's home

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were ordered to make a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not submitted.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "such as operating Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".

Robert Carlson
Robert Carlson

A real estate enthusiast with over a decade of experience in Dutch rental markets, dedicated to helping people find their ideal homes.