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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 forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service rest stops while using another car to scout out properties and execute thefts.

On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.

The next evening, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices off as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in prison the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek further action to "satisfy the sum outstanding".