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Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole more than £1.2m worth of goods, including from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.

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

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

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court was told the group arrived by ferry in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out targets and execute thefts.

On March 31 they stole over one million pounds of goods including designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Swedish player Mr Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional itinerant thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they neared their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey 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 sole individual found to have any funds that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had already been seized by police, the judge heard, with two weeks to be spent in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in prison the consequence if the sum was not submitted.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the coming years, "such as operating in Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "satisfy the amount outstanding".