Alexander Isak Robbers Ordered to Pay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Heists

Burglary suspects
Jela Jovanovic admitted their involvement in the crimes

Individuals of an Italian clan of thieves who stole more than £1.2m valued of items, including from former NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of England to raid three houses in April 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the gang came by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service rest stops while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they took more than £1m of goods including designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

Valentino Nikolov
Valentino was the sole member of the group to deny the charge but was convicted by jurors

The following night, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, used hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Alexander Isak's home
Thieves stole money and jewellery valued at £80,000 and an car from footballer Alexander Isak's property

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or property so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the money was not submitted.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example driving around Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the amount outstanding".

Joseph Gill
Joseph Gill

Elara Vance is a tech analyst and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in emerging technologies and innovation consulting.