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Individuals of an Italian family of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million valued of items, including from ex- Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

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

Particulars of the Burglaries

The judge was told the group came by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took over £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewellery 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 private road in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and shoes worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant burglars, used gloves and masks, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied the burglary plot 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, lawyer the prosecution said each 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 Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

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

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum outstanding".