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Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million worth of goods, including from former NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to raid three houses in April 2024.

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

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

Details of the Burglaries

The court was told the group came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring thieves, used gloves and masks, turned their phones on silent as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no money or assets so were ordered to make a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in prison the consequence if the money was not paid.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount due".