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Members of an Italy-based family of thieves who took more than £1.2 million worth of items, including from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie journeyed to the north-east of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for from a decade or less in May 2025.

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

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the group came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took over one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives 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 apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic 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 heard, with two weeks to be served in jail if he defaulted.

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

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example driving around Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount due".