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Individuals of an Italian family of thieves who stole over £1.2 million valued of items, including from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing another car to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as experienced touring thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they approached their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in prison the consequence 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 sports car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "satisfy the sum outstanding".