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Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million worth of goods, including from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.

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

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

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The court was told the group came by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they took over £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the crew broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, used gloves and masks, switched their phones on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

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

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as driving around in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek further action to "satisfy the amount due".