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Members of an Italian clan of thieves who took more than £1.2m worth of items, among them from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to raid three houses in April 2024.

The foursome were jailed for between six and 10 years in May 2025.

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the gang arrived by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to scout out targets and execute thefts.

On March 31 they took more than £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The next evening, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with two weeks to be served in jail if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the money was not paid.

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