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Individuals of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole over £1.2 million valued of items, including from ex- NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in spring 2024.

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

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the gang came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to search for properties and execute thefts.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the gang entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the result if the money was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek further action to "recover the sum outstanding".