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Individuals of an Italian clan of burglars who took over £1.2m worth of goods, including from ex- Newcastle United striker Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to burgle three houses in April 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for between a decade or less in May 2025.

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the group arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using another car to scout out properties and execute thefts.

On March 31 they stole more than one million pounds of items including high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their phones on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

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

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.

The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a fast car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the amount due".