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Members of an Italian clan of burglars who took more than £1.2 million valued of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United striker Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.

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

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

At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must hand over over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The judge was told the group came by ferry in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while using another car to scout out targets and execute thefts.

On 31 March they took over one million pounds of goods including high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes valued at over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced itinerant burglars, used gloves and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.

Legal Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual 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 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or property so were ordered to pay a token amount of £1 each, with one week in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a sports car or owning a property", the prosecution could seek new proceedings to "recover the sum outstanding".