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Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who took more than £1.2 million valued of goods, including from former NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie travelled to the north-east of the UK to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for between a decade or less in 2025.

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

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the group arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham rest stops while using another car to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they stole over £1m of items including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, valuables and footwear worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, used gloves and masks, switched their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars 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 Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

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 sum was not submitted.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount due".