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Members of an Italian family of burglars who took over £1.2 million valued of goods, among them from ex- Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 per person.

Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela and her son Charlie journeyed to the north-east of England to burgle multiple homes in spring 2024.

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

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

Details of the Burglaries

The judge was told the gang arrived by boat in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2024 and used a campervan as their "headquarters", which they parked at a service area and Durham service service stations while using a separate vehicle to search for targets and execute thefts.

On 31 March they stole more than £1m of items including designer clothing, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a residence on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were on holiday.

The following night, the gang entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, valuables and shoes valued at more than one hundred thousand pounds.

After scouting out Newcastle United's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the home of Sweden player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing ten thousand pounds in cash, £68,000 valued of jewelry and the player's £120,000 Audi RS6.

The group, who were described by the prosecution as professional touring thieves, wore hand coverings and face coverings, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their objectives and strapped a number plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were apprehended in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Court Hearings and Sentencing

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his family members had all submitted guilty pleas to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime session, lawyer the prosecution said every one of the burglars had benefited from their offenses to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had had stolen.

But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any money that could be "realised", namely over a thousand pounds which had already been seized by police, the judge heard, with 14 days to be served in jail if he failed to pay.

The remaining members had no assets or property so were directed to pay a token amount of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the sum was not paid.

Judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "for example driving around in Italy in a sports car or possessing a property", prosecutors could initiate new proceedings to "satisfy the amount outstanding".