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Members of an Italian family of thieves who took more than £1.2 million valued of goods, including from former NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.

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

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the group arrived by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing another car to scout out targets and execute thefts.

On 31 March they took over one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

The following night, the gang entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and footwear worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the residence of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

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

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no assets or assets so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.

The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as operating in Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum due".