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Members of an Italian family of burglars who stole over £1.2 million valued of items, including from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 per person.

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

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

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

Particulars of the Burglaries

The judge was told the gang came by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham rest stops while using a separate vehicle to scout out properties and execute burglaries.

On March 31 they stole over £1m of goods including designer clothing, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a residence on a street in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the crew broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of Newcastle United's facility for two days, they then acted at the home of Sweden striker Mr Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on April 4, stealing £10,000 in cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.

The group, who were portrayed by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, wore gloves and face coverings, switched their phones off as they approached their targets and attached a license plate, which had been taken from a garage in a town, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

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

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

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

Judge Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the coming years, "for example driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a property", the prosecution could seek further action to "recover the sum due".