Alexander Isak Robbers Ordered to Repay Just £1 Per Person from £1.2 Million Heists
Members of an Italian family of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million valued of goods, including from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.
Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid multiple homes in April 2024.
The group of four were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in 2025.
At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The court previously heard the gang came by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using another car to scout out properties and execute thefts.
On March 31 they took more than £1m of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.
The following night, the gang entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and footwear worth over £100,000.
Following surveillance of the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.
Legal Hearings and Sentencing
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the only one found to have any funds that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in jail if he failed to pay.
The remaining members had no money or assets so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.
The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".