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Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2m valued of goods, including from former NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 each.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

The group of four were jailed for from a decade or less in May 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge was told the group came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they stole over £1m of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.

The following night, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced itinerant thieves, used gloves and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they approached their targets 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 Hearings and Rulings

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds 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 prison if he defaulted.

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

The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the sum outstanding".