Isak Burglars Ordered to Pay Just £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts
Members of an Italian family of burglars who stole over £1.2 million worth of items, including from ex- NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 each.
Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of England to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for from six and 10 years in 2025.
At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.
Details of the Break-ins
The court previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while using another car to search for properties and carry out thefts.
On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.
The following night, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at more than £100,000.
After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.
The group, who were described by the prosecution as experienced itinerant burglars, used gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they approached their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham area 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 submitted admissions to the identical accusation.
At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.
The other three had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the money was not paid.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", the prosecution could initiate further action to "satisfy the sum due".
