Members of an Italian clan of thieves who stole over £1.2 million valued of items, among them from former Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, have been mandated to pay back just £1 per person.
Brothers Valentino and Giacomo, their sister Jela Jovanovic and her child Charlie Jovanovic journeyed to the north-east of the UK to raid three houses in spring 2024.
The foursome were jailed for between six and 10 years in May 2025.
At a proceeds of crime proceeding at Newcastle Crown Court, Jela Jovanovic and the brothers Nikolov were instructed to pay back £1 each while Charlie must pay £1,135.
Details of the Break-ins
The court was told the group came by boat in the UK on March 27, 2024 and employed a RV as their "headquarters", which they parked at Scotch Corner and Durham service rest stops while using another car to search for properties and carry out burglaries.
On 31 March they stole more than one million pounds of goods such as designer clothing, handbags, jewelry and a honor from a house on Clayton Road in Jesmond, while the owners were away.
The next evening, the gang entered a house on a private road in Whitburn, South Tyneside, and took luxury bags, jewellery and footwear valued at more than £100,000.
Following surveillance of the football club's facility for two days, they then struck at the residence of Swedish player Alexander Isak in Darras Hall, Ponteland on 4 April, stealing £10,000 in money, sixty-eight thousand pounds valued of jewellery and the striker's one hundred twenty thousand pound luxury car.
The group, who were portrayed by prosecutors as professional touring thieves, used gloves and masks, turned their mobile devices off as they neared their objectives and strapped a license plate, which had been stolen from a auto shop in Chester-le-Street, on to their car with elastic bands.
They were apprehended in the Birmingham area on April 13.
Court Hearings and Rulings
Valentino had denied conspiracy to burglary but was convicted by the court, while his family members had all entered guilty pleas to the same charge.
At the criminal gains session, prosecutor Daniel Cordey said each of the burglars had benefited from their crimes to the value of £1,266,285.93, which was based on what the victims said they had lost.
But Charlie Jovanovic was the only one found to have any money that could be "recovered", specifically over a thousand pounds which had previously been confiscated by police, the court heard, with two weeks to be served in prison if he failed to pay.
The remaining members had no money or property so were ordered to make a nominal fee of £1 each, with seven days in incarceration the result if the money was not submitted.
Judge Robert Spragg said if they were discovered with property in the future, "such as driving around Italy in a sports car or owning a property", the prosecution could initiate further action to "recover the sum outstanding".
