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Individuals of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole over £1.2m valued of items, among them from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service stations while using another car to search for targets and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of items such as designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and shoes worth more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, used gloves and masks, turned their phones off as they approached their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Hearings and Rulings

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

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

Judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the amount due".