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Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who took over £1.2 million valued of items, among them from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her son Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to raid three houses in April 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the gang came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while using another car to search for targets and carry out thefts.

On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of items including designer clothing, purses, jewelry and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and shoes worth over £100,000.

After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

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

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any funds that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or assets so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with one week in prison the consequence if the money was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "such as driving around in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the sum due".