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Individuals of an Italian clan of thieves who stole over £1.2 million valued of items, including from ex- NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

The foursome were jailed for from a decade or less in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the gang came by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing another car to search for targets and execute thefts.

On 31 March they stole over £1m of items including high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth over £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as professional itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their phones off as they approached their targets and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains session, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be served in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in prison the result if the money was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the amount due".