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Individuals of an Italian family of burglars who took over £1.2m valued of goods, among them from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of England to burgle three houses in April 2024.

The group of four were jailed for between six and 10 years in 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge was told the group arrived by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while using another car to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they took over £1m of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, used gloves and masks, switched their phones on silent as they neared their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

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

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be served in jail if he failed to pay.

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

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the sum outstanding".