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Individuals of an Italian family of thieves who stole more than £1.2 million worth of items, including from ex- NUFC striker Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 each.

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

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge was told the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and execute thefts.

On 31 March they stole over one million pounds of goods including designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, used gloves and masks, switched their phones off as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

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

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the sum due".