Individuals of an Italian family of thieves who took more than £1.2m valued of items, among them from ex- NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return only £1 each.
Siblings Valentino and Giacomo Nikolov, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.
The foursome were imprisoned for from six and 10 years in 2025.
At a proceeds of crime hearing at the court, Jela and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to repay £1 each while Charlie must pay over a thousand pounds.
Particulars of the Burglaries
The judge was told the gang arrived by ferry in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a campervan as their "base of operations", which they parked at a service area and Durham service rest stops while utilizing a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute burglaries.
On 31 March they took more than one million pounds of goods such as high-end fashion, handbags, jewellery and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were away.
The following night, the crew entered a home on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, and stole designer handbags, jewellery and footwear worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.
After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for two days, they then acted at the residence of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall on April 4, stealing £10,000 in cash, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's one hundred twenty thousand pound Audi RS6.
The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, used gloves and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they approached their objectives and attached a number plate, which had been taken from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their vehicle with elastic bands.
They were arrested in the Birmingham on April 13.
Court Hearings and Rulings
Valentino had pleaded not guilty to the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all submitted admissions to the same charge.
At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the defendants had benefited from their crimes to the amount of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the affected parties said they had had stolen.
But Charlie was the sole individual found to have any money that could be "recovered", namely £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by authorities, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.
The other three had no money or assets so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the sum was not paid.
Judge Spragg said if they were found with assets in the future, "for example operating Italy in a fast car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the amount due".
