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Members of an Italian family of burglars who took more than £1.2 million worth of goods, including from former NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang came by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to search for properties and carry out thefts.

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

The following night, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

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

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in jail if he failed to pay.

The other three had no money or property so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 each, with one week in prison the result if the money was not submitted.

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