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Members of an Italian family of thieves who took over £1.2m worth of items, among them from ex- Newcastle United striker Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of England to burgle three houses in spring 2024.

The foursome were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in 2025.

At a criminal assets proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang came by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service service stations while utilizing another car to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took over £1m of items such as designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on a street in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The following night, the crew broke into a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at over £100,000.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then struck at the residence of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as experienced touring burglars, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Hearings and Rulings

Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found 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 served in jail if he defaulted.

The other three had no money or property so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in prison the consequence if the money was not submitted.

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