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Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who took more than £1.2m worth of items, including from ex- NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.

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

The foursome were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in May 2025.

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the group came by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while utilizing another car to scout out properties and execute thefts.

On 31 March they stole over one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The following night, the crew entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth over £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their phones off as they approached their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days 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 each, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not paid.

The judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the amount outstanding".