Isak Burglars Instructed to Repay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Heists

Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole over £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of the UK to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the group came by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out targets and execute thefts.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of goods including designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the crew broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring burglars, used gloves and masks, switched their phones on silent as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to 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, lawyer 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 affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or assets so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not paid.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example driving around in Italy in a sports car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum outstanding".