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Members of an Italy-based clan of thieves who took more than £1.2 million valued of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

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

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang came by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using another car to search for targets and carry out burglaries.

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

The next evening, the gang entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, valuables and shoes valued at over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, used gloves and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

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 submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a fast car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the amount due".