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Members of an Italian clan of thieves who stole over £1.2 million valued of goods, among them from ex- NUFC striker Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 each.

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

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

At a proceeds of crime proceeding at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie Jovanovic must pay over a thousand pounds.

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang came by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while using a separate vehicle to search for properties and execute thefts.

On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, purses, jewelry and a honor from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The following night, the gang broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole luxury bags, jewellery and footwear worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Sweden player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as experienced itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all submitted guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the court was informed, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

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

Judge Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "such as driving around in Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the amount due".