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Members of an Italian family of burglars who took more than £1.2 million valued of items, including from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of England to raid three houses in spring 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge was told the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out targets and execute thefts.

On 31 March they took over £1m of goods such as designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The following night, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they approached their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "for example driving around in Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum due".