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

Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2m valued of items, including from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of England to burgle three houses in April 2024.

The foursome were jailed for from six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang came by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while using another car to scout out targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and shoes worth more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, used gloves and masks, turned their phones off as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any money that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court was informed, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the sum due".