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Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who stole more than £1.2m valued of items, including from ex- NUFC forward Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie journeyed to the north-east of the UK to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

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

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the gang came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out properties and carry out thefts.

On 31 March they stole over £1m of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, valuables and footwear worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices on silent as they approached their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime session, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the court was informed, with 14 days to be served in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were ordered to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum outstanding".