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Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2m worth of items, including from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in spring 2024.

The foursome were jailed for between six and 10 years in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the group arrived by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to search for properties and execute thefts.

On March 31 they stole more than £1m of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then struck at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their phones off as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in prison the result if the sum was not submitted.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "satisfy the sum outstanding".