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Members of an Italian family of thieves who took over £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of England to raid three houses in April 2024.

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

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

Details of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they took more than £1m of items such as designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.

The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and shoes valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, used gloves and masks, turned their phones on silent as they neared their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

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

The other three had no assets or assets so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "for example driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the amount due".