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Individuals of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million valued of items, among them from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle 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 the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court was told the gang came by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using another car to search for properties and execute thefts.

On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were away.

The following night, the gang entered 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 acted at the home of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or property so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the money was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount due".