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Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who took over £1.2m worth of items, among them from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 per person.

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

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

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge was told the group arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using a separate vehicle to scout out targets and execute thefts.

On March 31 they took more than £1m of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the crew entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, wore gloves and masks, switched their phones on silent as they approached their objectives 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 arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Rulings

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 hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any funds that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the court was informed, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no money or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the money was not paid.

The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "recover the amount due".