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Members of an Italian family of thieves who took more than £1.2 million valued of goods, among them from former NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

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

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

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of goods including high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

The following night, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, used gloves and face coverings, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no money or property so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not paid.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate further action to "satisfy the sum outstanding".