Alexander Isak Burglars Ordered to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists
Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million worth of items, including from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 per person.
Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of England to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for between a decade or less in 2025.
At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.
Details of the Break-ins
The judge previously heard the group arrived by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while using another car to scout out targets and carry out thefts.
On March 31 they took more than £1m of items including designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.
The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, used gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.
At the criminal gains session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.
The other three had no assets or property so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in prison the consequence if the sum was not submitted.
Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "such as operating Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the sum due".