Isak Burglars Ordered to Pay Only £1 Each from £1.2m Thefts
Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole more than £1.2 million worth of items, among them from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 per person.
Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.
The group of four were jailed for between a decade or less in 2025.
At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The court previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while using another car to scout out properties and carry out thefts.
On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.
The following night, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's £120,000 luxury car.
The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their phones off as they neared their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.
At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge heard, with 14 days to be served in prison if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the money was not paid.
The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example operating in Italy in a fast car or owning a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum due".