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Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took over £1.2 million valued of items, among them from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 each.

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

The foursome were jailed for between a decade or less in 2025.

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

Details of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the gang came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute thefts.

On March 31 they stole over one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, valuables and shoes valued at more than £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and attached 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 on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

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

Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".