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Individuals of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole over £1.2m valued of items, among them from former NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

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

At a criminal assets hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must hand over £1,135.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out targets and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they took over £1m of goods including designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The next evening, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and footwear worth over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, wore gloves and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains 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 based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the court was informed, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

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

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