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Members of an Italian family of thieves who took over £1.2m worth of goods, among them from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her son Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the north-east of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

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

Details of the Burglaries

The court previously heard the group came by boat in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "headquarters", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing another car to search for targets and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they stole more than £1m of items such as high-end fashion, 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 home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on 4 April, taking £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewellery and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were described by the prosecution as experienced itinerant burglars, wore hand coverings and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been stolen from a garage in a town, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Hearings and Rulings

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had profited from their offenses to the amount of over £1.2 million, which was determined by what the affected parties said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual 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 jail if he failed to pay.

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

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the amount outstanding".