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Individuals of an Italian family of thieves who took more than £1.2 million valued of goods, among them from former Newcastle United striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie must hand over £1,135.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge was told the gang came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute thefts.

On March 31 they took more than £1m of items such as designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The following night, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant thieves, used hand coverings 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 Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended 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 session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with one week in prison the result if the money was not paid.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the sum outstanding".