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Individuals of an Italian family of thieves who took more than £1.2 million worth of goods, including from former Newcastle United 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 travelled to the northeastern of the UK to raid three houses in spring 2024.

The foursome were jailed for between a decade or less in 2025.

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service stations while using another car to search for targets and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they stole over one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to 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 every one of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in prison the result if the money was not paid.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "such as driving around Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount due".