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Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who took more than £1.2m worth of items, including from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.

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

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out burglaries.

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

The next evening, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, valuables and footwear valued at more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they approached their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the defendants had profited 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 only one deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no money or property so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the money was not submitted.

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