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Members of an Italy-based clan of thieves who took more than £1.2m worth of items, among them from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie journeyed to the northeastern of England to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

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

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

Particulars of the Burglaries

The judge was told the group came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and carry out thefts.

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

The next evening, the gang entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring thieves, used hand coverings and masks, turned their phones off as they approached their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

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

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be served in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no money or assets so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the result if the sum was not paid.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "for example driving around Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "recover the amount outstanding".