Alexander Isak Robbers Instructed to Pay Just £1 Each from £1.2 Million Heists
Members of an Italy-based clan of thieves who took over £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from former Newcastle United striker Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 per person.
Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for from six and 10 years in 2025.
At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The court previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using another car to search for properties and carry out burglaries.
On March 31 they stole more than £1m of items such as designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were away.
The next evening, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth more than £100,000.
After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The group, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, used gloves and masks, turned their phones on silent as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.
Legal Hearings and Sentencing
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 session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the judge heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.
The remaining members had no assets or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.
The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount due".