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Individuals of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole over £1.2m worth of goods, including from former NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge was told the gang came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they took over £1m of items such as designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, used gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they approached their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Hearings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no assets or assets so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the result if the sum was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or owning a property", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "recover the amount outstanding".