Alexander Isak Burglars Instructed to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2 Million Thefts
Members of an Italian family of burglars who stole over £1.2 million valued of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 each.
Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of England to burgle three houses in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for from six and 10 years in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The judge was told the group arrived by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham rest stops while using another car to search for targets and execute thefts.
On 31 March they stole over one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.
The following night, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than £100,000.
After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in money, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.
The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional touring burglars, used hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices on silent as they neared their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.
Legal Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.
At the criminal gains session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.
The remaining members had no money or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not paid.
Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "such as operating in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".