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Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2 million valued of items, including from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.

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

The group of four were imprisoned for between a decade or less in 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The court was told the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute thefts.

On 31 March they took more than £1m of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their phones off as they approached their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or property so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the money was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".