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Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million valued of goods, including from former NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of England to burgle three houses in April 2024.

The foursome were jailed for from a decade or less in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the group 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 using another car to search for properties and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they stole more than £1m of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the crew entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

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 £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as experienced itinerant burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Rulings

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

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer the prosecution said each of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

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

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

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "recover the amount outstanding".