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Members of an Italian clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2m worth of goods, among them from former NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of England to raid multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were jailed for between a decade or less in May 2025.

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

Details of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using another car to scout out targets and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they took over £1m of goods such as designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.

The following night, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

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

At the proceeds of crime session, 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 had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be served in jail if he failed to pay.

The other three had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the sum outstanding".