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Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole over £1.2m worth of items, including from ex- NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

The foursome were jailed 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 pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the group came by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to scout out targets and execute thefts.

On 31 March they took over £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional touring burglars, used hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no money or property so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the money was not submitted.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or owning a home", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "recover the sum due".