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

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

The group of four were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in May 2025.

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

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 "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while using another car to scout out properties and execute thefts.

On 31 March they took over £1m of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The following night, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, valuables and shoes valued at more than £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their phones on silent as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the amount outstanding".