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Individuals of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole more than £1.2m worth of goods, among them from former NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 each.

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

The group of four were imprisoned for between a decade or less in 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 Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to scout out properties and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they took more than £1m of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The following night, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth over £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "for example driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a property", the prosecution could seek further action to "recover the sum due".