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Individuals of an Italy-based clan of burglars who took over £1.2 million worth of goods, including from former Newcastle United striker Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.

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

The group of four were jailed for between a decade or less in 2025.

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

Details of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the gang came by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to scout out targets and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of goods including designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the crew entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then acted at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices on silent 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 elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

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

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "for example operating Italy in a sports car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".