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Individuals of an Italian clan of thieves who stole over £1.2 million worth of items, including from former Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in April 2024.

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

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

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the group arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service stations while using another car to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole over £1m of items including designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Hearings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be served in jail if he defaulted.

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

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "such as operating Italy in a fast car or owning a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "recover the amount outstanding".