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Individuals of an Italian clan of thieves who took more than £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from former NUFC striker Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of England to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

The group of four were jailed for between six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The court was told the gang arrived by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out targets and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they took more than £1m of goods including designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their phones on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "for example driving around in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate further action to "satisfy the amount outstanding".