Members of an Italy-based clan of burglars who stole over £1.2 million worth of goods, including from ex- NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return just £1 each.
Brothers Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in April 2024.
The group of four were jailed for between a decade or less in May 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must hand over over a thousand pounds.
Details of the Break-ins
The court was told the group arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while using another car to search for targets and execute thefts.
On 31 March they stole over £1m of items including high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were on holiday.
The following night, the crew broke into a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear worth over £100,000.
Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, taking ten thousand pounds in money, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The gang, who were portrayed by the prosecution as experienced touring burglars, used hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices off as they neared their targets and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.
Legal Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by the court, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.
At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had lost.
But Charlie was the only one found to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in jail if he defaulted.
The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to make a nominal fee of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.
Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "for example operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum due".
