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

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie journeyed to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in spring 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for from a decade or less in May 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The court was told the group arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for targets and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they took over one million pounds of items including designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

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 worth over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, used gloves and face coverings, turned their phones off as they approached their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or property 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.

The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "such as driving around in Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount due".