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Members of an Italian clan of thieves who stole over £1.2 million valued of items, including from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 each.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

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

Details of the Burglaries

The judge was told the group came by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they took over £1m of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as experienced touring thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices on silent as they approached their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied 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 session, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be served in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the money was not paid.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the amount outstanding".