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Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who took more than £1.2m worth of items, including from former NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister 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 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the group came by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while using another car to scout out targets and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The next evening, the gang entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, used gloves and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Hearings and Rulings

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the burglars 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 Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the sum due".