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

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

The foursome were imprisoned for between a decade or less in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the gang came by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out targets and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they stole over £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as experienced itinerant thieves, used gloves and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any funds that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be served in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in prison the result if the money was not paid.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the amount due".