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Individuals of an Italian clan of burglars who took over £1.2 million worth of items, including from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the group came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for targets and carry out thefts.

On March 31 they stole over £1m of items such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

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

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

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 authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the sum due".