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Individuals of an Italy-based family of burglars who took more than £1.2 million valued of items, including from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 per person.

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

The foursome were imprisoned for between six and 10 years 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 must pay over a thousand pounds.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The judge previously heard the group came by ferry 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 using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute thefts.

On 31 March they took over one million pounds of goods including designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the gang entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced itinerant burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they approached their targets and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on April 13.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited 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 over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the result 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 sports car or possessing a property", prosecutors could initiate further action to "satisfy the sum outstanding".