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Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took over £1.2 million valued of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 per person.

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

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 per person while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the group came 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 service rest stops while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute burglaries.

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

The next evening, the crew entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear worth more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and strapped a number 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 Sentencing

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no money or property so were ordered to make a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount outstanding".