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Individuals of an Italy-based family of burglars who took over £1.2m worth of items, including from ex- NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for between a decade or less in 2025.

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

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham rest stops while using another car to scout out targets and execute thefts.

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

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, used gloves and face coverings, turned their phones off as they approached their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

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

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

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

The judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum due".