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Members of an Italian family of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million valued of goods, including from ex- NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to burgle three houses in April 2024.

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

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

Details of the Break-ins

The judge was told the gang came by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while utilizing another car to scout out properties and execute thefts.

On 31 March they took more than £1m of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang entered a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth more than £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced itinerant burglars, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

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

At the criminal gains session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any money that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge was informed, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with one week in prison the result if the money was not paid.

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