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Individuals of an Italian family of thieves who took over £1.2 million valued of items, including from former Newcastle United striker Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.

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

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

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Burglaries

The judge was told the group came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of items such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the gang broke into a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and shoes worth more than £100,000.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as experienced itinerant burglars, used gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they neared their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court was informed, with two weeks to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

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

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