A court has ordered members of an Italian crime syndicate to repay merely £1 each, despite their theft of goods valued at £1.2 million during a spate of burglaries across the North-East.
The gang, who targeted properties including the Northumberland residence of footballer Alexander Isak, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday for a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing.
Whilst prosecutors established the criminals had benefited by £1,266,285.93 from their offences, authorities could recover only £1,135.50 from seized assets.
The nominal repayment order stands in stark contrast to the scale of their crimes and subsequent prison sentences.
The criminal enterprise comprised brothers Valentino Nikolov, 32, and Giacomo Nikolov, 28, alongside their sister Jela Jovanovic, 43, and her son Charlie Jovanovic, 23.
During a single week in April 2024, they executed three meticulously planned raids.
Valentino Nikolov, Giacomo Nikolov, Jela Jovanovic and Charlie Jovanovic were jailed for their raids in the North East
|PA
Their first target yielded designer items, handbags, jewellery and a CBE medal worth £1 million whilst the homeowners were absent.
The following evening saw them seize £100,000 in luxury clothing and accessories from another property.
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Their final strike targeted Isak's residence, where they netted £68,000 in jewellery, £10,000 cash and the footballer's £120,000 Audi RS6.
The gang had conducted surveillance at Newcastle's training facility for two days before attacking the striker's home.
The family received prison terms ranging from six to ten years when sentenced in May 2025.
Alexander Isak had admitted he has felt fear since returning to his home
| GETTYDuring Monday's proceedings, prosecutor Daniel Cordey confirmed the gang's criminal profits totalled £1,266,285.93.
Charlie Jovanovic must pay £1,135.50 - money already confiscated from the group's motorhome during police raids.
His relatives possessed no traceable assets, resulting in the token £1 repayment orders.
Judge Robert Spragg warned that failure to pay within seven days would result in imprisonment.
He noted that future discoveries of assets - "for example driving around Italy in a fast car or owning a property" - could trigger fresh proceedings to recover outstanding amounts.
Isak, who discovered the break-in upon returning from a colleague's house at 10pm, described finding his outdoor bins inside his television room.
The criminals had employed considerable force, hurling a large safe from an upstairs balcony and demolishing an interior wall during its removal.
His stolen vehicle had been rammed through the property gates.
"The attack on my home has left me with a sense of unease and I fear it could re-occur now the thieves know the layout and entry points to my home," the striker stated.
He added: "I cannot deny I feel a sense of unease when I live and return to my home."
