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Members of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole more than £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

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

Details of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the group came by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while using another car to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they took more than £1m of items including designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the crew entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and footwear valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, wore gloves and masks, switched their phones on silent as they approached their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The other three had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the result if the money was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "for example driving around in Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the amount due".