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Members of an Italy-based clan of thieves who stole over £1.2 million valued of goods, among them from former NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to pay back just £1 each.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic travelled to the northeastern of England to burgle multiple homes in April 2024.

The group of four were jailed for between a decade or less in May 2025.

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

Particulars of the Burglaries

The judge previously heard the group came by ferry in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2024 and used a RV as their "base of operations", which they stationed at a service area and Durham service rest stops while using another car to scout out properties and carry out burglaries.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of goods including high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, while the owners were on holiday.

The next evening, the gang broke into a home on a private road in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth over one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground for two days, they then acted at the home of Swedish striker Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, used gloves and face coverings, turned their mobile devices on silent as they approached their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been taken from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.

They were arrested in the Birmingham area on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Rulings

Valentino had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to burglary but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the criminal gains hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the defendants had benefited from their offenses to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the affected parties said they had lost.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "realised", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the judge heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.

The other three had no assets or assets so were directed to make a token amount of £1 each, with one week 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 Italy in a sports car or possessing a home", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "recover the sum due".