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Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2m valued of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 each.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of the UK to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

The foursome were jailed for between six and 10 years in 2025.

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

Details of the Break-ins

The court previously heard the group came by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to search for targets and execute thefts.

On March 31 they stole over one million pounds of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's facility for two days, they then struck at the residence of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring thieves, used gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with 14 days to be served in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no assets or property so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate further action to "satisfy the sum outstanding".