🔗 Share this article Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts Giacomo Nikolov confessed to their involvement in the burglaries Individuals of an Italian clan of burglars who stole over £1.2m valued of items, among them from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 per person. Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in April 2024. The group of four were imprisoned for between a decade or less in 2025. At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135. Particulars of the Burglaries The court previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing another car to scout out properties and execute burglaries. On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday. Valentino was the only one of the foursome to contest the charge but was convicted by the jury The next evening, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds. After scouting out 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 £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6. The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, used hand coverings and masks, turned their phones on silent as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands. They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April. Thieves stole money and jewelry valued at £80,000 and an Audi from then-Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak's home Court Hearings and Sentencing Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation. At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited 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 deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he failed to pay. The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not paid. Judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the sum due".