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Members of an Italian family of thieves who took over £1.2m worth of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United striker Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.

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

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

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Burglaries

The court was told the group came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and carry out burglaries.

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

The next evening, the crew broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, valuables and footwear worth over £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their phones off as they approached their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the burglars had profited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any money that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the result if the money was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "for example driving around Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".