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Members of an Italian family of burglars who took more than £1.2 million worth of items, including from former Newcastle United forward Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the northeastern of England to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

The group of four were imprisoned for between six and 10 years in 2025.

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge was told the gang arrived by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of items such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The next evening, the gang entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring thieves, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their phones off as they neared their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

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

At the criminal gains session, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their offenses 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 found to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three 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 sum was not submitted.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the coming years, "such as driving around in Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the sum outstanding".