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Individuals of an Italian clan of thieves who took more than £1.2 million valued of goods, including from former NUFC striker Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie travelled to the northeastern of England to raid three houses in spring 2024.

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

At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The court was told the group came by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to search for properties and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took over £1m of goods including high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The next evening, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then struck at the residence of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, wore hand coverings and face coverings, turned their phones off as they neared their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Rulings

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

At the criminal gains session, lawyer the prosecution said every one 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 had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by authorities, the judge heard, with 14 days to be served in jail if he defaulted.

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

The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the sum due".