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Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2m valued of items, among them from ex- NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 each.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge was told the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing another car to scout out properties and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they took more than £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The next evening, the crew entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, valuables and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no money or assets so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the amount outstanding".