Alexander Isak Robbers Instructed to Repay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Thefts

Burglary suspects
Jela Jovanovic confessed to participating in the burglaries

Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took more than £1.2m worth of goods, among them from former NUFC striker Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of the UK to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

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

At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court was told the gang came by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to search for properties and execute thefts.

On March 31 they took more than £1m of goods including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the only one of the foursome to deny the charge but was found guilty by the jury

The next evening, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth over £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, used gloves and masks, switched their phones off as they neared their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Alexander Isak's home
Burglars took money and jewelry worth eighty thousand pounds and an car from footballer Isak's home

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or assets so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in prison the result if the money was not submitted.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the sum outstanding".

Steven Morrison
Steven Morrison

Lena is a seasoned mountaineer and outdoor writer with over 15 years of experience scaling peaks across Europe and Asia.