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Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who stole over £1.2m worth of goods, among them from ex- NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 each.

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 April 2024.

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

At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The judge was told the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using another car to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, used gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the result if the money was not paid.

The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "for example operating in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".