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Individuals of an Italy-based family of burglars who took over £1.2 million valued of goods, including from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in May 2025.

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

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the group came by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham rest stops while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they stole over one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their phones off as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge heard, with 14 days 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 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek further action to "recover the amount outstanding".