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Members of an Italian family of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from ex- NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of England to raid three houses in spring 2024.

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to scout out targets and execute thefts.

On March 31 they stole over one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.

The following night, the crew broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, valuables and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's facility for two days, they then struck at the residence of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices on silent as they approached their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Hearings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example operating in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the sum outstanding".