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Members of an Italian clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to burgle three houses in April 2024.

The group of four were jailed for between 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 repay £1 per person while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the group came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they stole over one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and footwear worth over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional touring burglars, used hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

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

At the criminal gains session, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in jail if he failed to pay.

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

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a sports car or owning a home", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "recover the sum outstanding".