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Individuals of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took over £1.2 million worth of goods, among them from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 per person.

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

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

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court was told the group arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using another car to scout out targets and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of goods including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The following night, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then struck at the residence of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they neared their targets and strapped a number 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.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

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

Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the amount due".