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Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2m worth of goods, including from ex- NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for from a decade or less in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the group came by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute thefts.

On 31 March they took more than one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

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

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, 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 ordered to pay a token amount of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example driving around in Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".