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Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole over £1.2 million worth of items, including from former NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of England to raid multiple homes in April 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while using another car to scout out targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the crew broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, wore gloves and masks, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

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

Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a fast car or owning a property", the prosecution could seek further action to "satisfy the sum outstanding".