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Members of an Italy-based family of burglars who stole over £1.2 million worth of items, including from ex- NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 each.

Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her child Charlie travelled to the north-east of the UK to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were jailed for from six and 10 years in 2025.

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Details of the Burglaries

The judge was told the group came by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a RV as their "base of operations", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using another car to scout out targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they took more than one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on a street in Jesmond, while the owners were away.

The next evening, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and footwear worth over £100,000.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then struck at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional itinerant thieves, used hand coverings and face coverings, switched their mobile devices on silent as they approached their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the same charge.

At the criminal gains hearing, prosecutor the prosecution said each of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie was the only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge was informed, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

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

The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the future, "such as driving around in Italy in a fast car or owning a home", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the amount outstanding".