🔗 Share this article Isak Robbers Instructed to Pay Only £1 Per Person from £1.2m Thefts Giacomo Nikolov admitted their involvement in the crimes Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2 million valued of goods, including from ex- Newcastle United forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person. Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024. The group of four were jailed 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 £1,135. Particulars of the Break-ins The court was told the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to scout out targets and execute burglaries. On 31 March they stole over £1m of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away. Valentino was the sole member of the group to contest burglary but was convicted by jurors The following night, the crew entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, valuables and shoes valued at over one hundred thousand pounds. Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car. The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps. They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13. Thieves stole money and jewellery worth eighty thousand pounds and an Audi from then-Newcastle United striker Isak's property Legal Proceedings and Rulings Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the same charge. At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen. But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he failed to pay. The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not paid. The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".