Two men jailed over knifepoint robbery at cyclist Cavendish’s home

Two men have been jailed for robbing Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish and his wife Peta of high-value watches in a knifepoint raid which has left them considering selling their home due to the "continuing fear".

Balaclava-wearing intruders broke into Cavendish's home in Ongar, Essex, as he slept upstairs with his wife Peta, the trial at Chelmsford Crown Court was told.

Mrs Cavendish, fighting back tears at Tuesday's sentencing, said the robbery had "turned a loving family home into a constant reminder of threat and fear".

Reading her victim personal statement from the witness box, she said they "could potentially sell the property due to the continuing fear", but in the current economic climate this could cause "considerable loss".

Mrs Cavendish said she was "in the early stages of pregnancy" at the time of the robbery, and a time when she "should have been happy and excited was then transformed into a period of stress and worry".

She told the trial she covered her three-year-old child, who was in a bed with her, with a duvet so that they could not see what was happening.

Two Richard Mille watches, valued at £400,000 and £300,000, were among the items taken in the raid at around 2.30am on November 27 2021.

Romario Henry, 31, of Bell Green, Lewisham, south-east London, denied two counts of robbery but was found guilty after an earlier trial and sentenced on Tuesday to 15 years in prison.

Ali Sesay, 28, of Holding Street, Rainham, Kent, admitted two counts of robbery and was jailed for 12 years.

Judge David Turner KC, sentencing the two men, said: "This was serious organised crime. This was no run-of-the-mill domestic burglary by opportunist amateurs.

"This was planned, targeted, orchestrated, ruthless offending aimed at an internationally known sportsman and his wife who happened to be brand ambassadors for exceptionally valuable Richard Mille watches."

The trial was told that Sesay's DNA was found on Mrs Cavendish's phone, which was taken and found outside the property.

The charges were that the accused men robbed Cavendish of a watch, phone and safe, and robbed his wife of a watch, phone and suitcase.