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Individuals of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million valued of items, among them from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 each.

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

The foursome were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the gang came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing another car to search for properties and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, used gloves and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

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

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a fast car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the amount outstanding".