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Individuals of an Italian family of thieves who took over £1.2 million valued of items, among them from former NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

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

Details of the Burglaries

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

On March 31 they took over one million pounds of goods including high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

The following night, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, wore gloves and masks, turned their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be served in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or assets so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not paid.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the sum outstanding".