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Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who took more than £1.2m valued of items, including from former NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.

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

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

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

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court was told the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while using another car to search for properties and execute thefts.

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

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

After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, 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 jewelry and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, switched their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Rulings

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

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

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any funds that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the judge heard, with 14 days to be served in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or assets so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the result if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the amount outstanding".