Alexander Isak Burglars Ordered to Pay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2m Thefts
Members of an Italian family of thieves who stole more than £1.2 million worth of items, among them from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.
Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of the UK to raid three houses in April 2024.
The group of four were jailed for between a decade or less in May 2025.
At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Details of the Break-ins
The judge previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute burglaries.
On 31 March they took more than one million pounds of goods including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.
The following night, the crew broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth more than £100,000.
Following surveillance of the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.
The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, used gloves and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.
At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes 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 found to have any funds that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no assets or assets so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the money was not paid.
Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the sum outstanding".