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Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole more than £1.2m worth of items, including from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

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

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

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

On March 31 they took over one million pounds of items such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, used hand coverings and masks, switched their phones off as they approached their targets and strapped 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 on 13 April.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge 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 token amount of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the money was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could seek further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".