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Individuals of an Italian clan of burglars who stole more than £1.2 million worth of goods, including from former NUFC striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to return just £1 each.

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

The foursome were jailed for from six and 10 years in May 2025.

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

Details of the Break-ins

The court was told the gang came by boat in the UK on March 27, 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 thefts.

On 31 March they stole over £1m of items such as high-end fashion, purses, jewellery and a CBE medal from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the residents were away.

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

After scouting out the football club's training ground for 48 hours, they then struck at the residence of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, taking ten thousand pounds in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the player's £120,000 luxury car.

The group, who were described by prosecutors as professional itinerant thieves, wore hand coverings and masks, switched their mobile devices off as they approached their objectives and attached a license plate, which had been stolen from a garage in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with rubber straps.

They were arrested in the Birmingham on 13 April.

Legal Proceedings and Rulings

Valentino had denied the burglary plot but was found guilty by jurors, while his three relations had all submitted admissions to the identical accusation.

At the proceeds of crime hearing, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the defendants had profited from their crimes to the value 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", specifically £1,135.50 which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with 14 days to be spent in prison if he defaulted.

The remaining members had no money or property so were directed to pay a nominal fee of £1 each, with one week in prison the result if the money was not paid.

The judge Robert Spragg said if they were found with property in the future, "such as operating in Italy in a fast car or possessing a property", prosecutors could seek further action to "satisfy the amount due".