Individuals of an Italian family of thieves who stole more than £1.2m valued of goods, including from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 per person.
Siblings Valentino Nikolov and Giacomo Nikolov, their female sibling Jela and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to raid three houses in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for between a decade or less in May 2025.
At a criminal assets proceeding at the court, Jela and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Break-ins
The judge previously heard the group came by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham service service stations while utilizing a separate vehicle to scout out targets and carry out burglaries.
On March 31 they took over £1m of items including high-end fashion, handbags, jewelry and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the residents were away.
The next evening, the crew entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear worth more than £100,000.
After scouting out Newcastle United's facility for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Swedish 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 luxury car.
The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional touring burglars, used gloves and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their targets and strapped a number plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in a town, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.
Legal Proceedings and Rulings
Valentino Nikolov had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the identical accusation.
At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer the prosecution said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was determined by what the victims said they had lost.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual deemed to have any funds that could be "realised", specifically over a thousand pounds 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 token amount of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the money was not paid.
The judge Spragg said if they were discovered with assets in the coming years, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", prosecutors could initiate further action to "recover the amount outstanding".
