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Members of an Italian family of thieves who stole more than £1.2m valued of goods, including from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.

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

The foursome were jailed for between a decade or less in 2025.

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court was told the group arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for targets and carry out burglaries.

On March 31 they stole more than one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth over £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking £10,000 in money, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices on silent as they neared their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended 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 guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims 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 previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no assets or assets so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the amount due".