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Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who stole over £1.2m worth of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled 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 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while using another car to search for targets and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they took over one million pounds of goods including high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, valuables and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

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

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey 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 Jovanovic was the only one found to have any funds that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court 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 seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.

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