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Individuals of an Italy-based family of thieves who took over £1.2m valued of items, among them from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back only £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie travelled to the north-east of the UK to burgle three houses in April 2024.

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

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

Particulars of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang came by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service stations while using another car to search for targets and execute thefts.

On March 31 they took more than £1m of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a honor from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The following night, the gang entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and took luxury bags, jewellery and shoes worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

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

The gang, who were described by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they neared their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their vehicle with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited 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 was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "recovered", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no money or assets so were ordered to make a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the sum was not submitted.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a fast car or possessing a home", the prosecution could seek further action to "satisfy the sum due".