🔗 Share this article Alexander Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Just £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts Giacomo Nikolov admitted their involvement in the crimes Members of an Italian family of burglars who stole over £1.2m worth of items, including from former NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 per person. Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to raid three houses in April 2024. The foursome were imprisoned for between a decade or less in 2025. At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie must hand over £1,135. Details of the Break-ins The court was told the gang came by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out targets and execute burglaries. On 31 March they stole more than £1m of goods such as designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away. Valentino Nikolov was the sole member of the foursome to contest burglary but was convicted by jurors The next evening, the crew entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at over £100,000. Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, 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 itinerant burglars, used hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they neared their objectives and attached a license 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 on April 13. Burglars took cash and jewelry valued at £80,000 and an Audi from then-Newcastle United striker Isak's property Legal Hearings and Sentencing Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation. At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each 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 was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge heard, with 14 days to be served in prison if he defaulted. The remaining members had no money or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the money was not paid. The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "recover the amount due".