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Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2 million worth of goods, including from former NUFC forward Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in spring 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 brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.

Details of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the group arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they stole over £1m of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, valuables and shoes worth more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted 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 jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

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

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no assets or assets so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 each, with one week in prison the result if the sum was not paid.

The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the amount outstanding".