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Individuals of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took more than £1.2m valued of items, including from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her son Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court was told the group arrived by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took over one million pounds of goods including high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden 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 described by the prosecution as professional touring burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their phones off as they approached their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", namely 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 assets or assets so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a fast car or owning a property", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "recover the amount due".