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Individuals of an Italy-based family of burglars who took more than £1.2m worth of items, including from former NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.

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

The group of four were jailed for from a decade or less 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 £1,135.

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the group arrived by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and carry out thefts.

On March 31 they stole over £1m of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their phones off as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Court Hearings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "such as driving around in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".