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Individuals of an Italian family of burglars who took over £1.2 million valued of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 each.

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

The foursome were jailed for from a decade or less in May 2025.

At a proceeds of crime hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the gang came by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service stations while utilizing another car to search for targets and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they stole over one million pounds of goods including high-end fashion, 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 house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then acted at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, used gloves and masks, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said every one of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.

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

The other three had no money or property so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not paid.

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