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Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole over £1.2m valued of goods, including from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her child Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they stole more than one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and shoes worth over £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they neared their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, 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 police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be served in jail if he failed to pay.

The other three had no assets or property so were ordered to make a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as driving around Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".