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Individuals of an Italian clan of thieves who took more than £1.2m valued of items, including from former NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 each.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie travelled to the northeastern of England to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the group came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service stations while using another car to scout out properties and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they stole over £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, valuables and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as experienced itinerant thieves, used gloves and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Proceedings 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 admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the burglars had profited from their offenses 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 only one found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The other three had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the amount due".