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Members of an Italian clan of burglars who stole over £1.2 million worth of items, including from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 each.

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

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area 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, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, wore gloves and masks, turned their mobile devices on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey 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 victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no assets or assets so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example driving around Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the sum outstanding".