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Individuals of an Italy-based clan of thieves who took more than £1.2 million valued of goods, including from former NUFC forward Alexander Isak, have been ordered to return only £1 per person.

Siblings Valentino and Giacomo, their female sibling Jela Jovanovic and her son Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the northeastern of the UK to raid multiple homes in spring 2024.

The foursome were jailed for from a decade or less in 2025.

At a criminal assets hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the Nikolov brothers were ordered to pay back £1 per person while Charlie must pay £1,135.

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the group arrived by boat in the UK on 27 March 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they stationed at Scotch Corner and Durham rest stops while using a separate vehicle to scout out targets and execute thefts.

On March 31 they took more than £1m of goods such as designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

The next evening, the gang entered a house on a gated cul-de-sac in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and stole designer handbags, valuables and footwear worth more than one hundred thousand pounds.

Following surveillance of the football club's training ground 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 cash, £68,000 worth of jewelry and the striker's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The gang, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring burglars, used gloves and face coverings, turned their phones on silent as they neared 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 apprehended in the Birmingham on April 13.

Court Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was convicted by jurors, while his three relations had all entered admissions to the same charge.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, lawyer Daniel Cordey said every one of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of over £1.2 million, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.

But Charlie was the only one deemed to have any funds that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by authorities, the judge heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or assets so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 per person, with seven days in incarceration the consequence if the money was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "such as operating in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", prosecutors could seek new proceedings to "recover the amount due".