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Members of an Italian clan of burglars who took over £1.2 million valued of goods, among them from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.

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

The foursome were jailed for from six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie must hand over £1,135.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the gang came by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they stole over one million pounds of items such as designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their phones off as they neared their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

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 authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be served in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek further action to "recover the amount due".