Isak Robbers Ordered to Pay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists
Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole over £1.2m valued of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United striker Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.
Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.
The group of four were jailed for between a decade or less in 2025.
At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The court was told the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and execute burglaries.
On 31 March they stole over one million pounds of items including designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.
The following night, the crew broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth more than £100,000.
After scouting out the football club's facility 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 £120,000 luxury car.
The group, who were described by prosecutors as professional itinerant thieves, used gloves and masks, turned their phones off as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.
Court Hearings and Sentencing
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.
At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no assets or assets so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the money was not submitted.
Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the amount due".
