Mark Cavendish and his spouse Peta have been victims of a knifepoint theft at their house in November 2021
Two males have been jailed for robbing Olympic bike owner Mark Cavendish and his spouse Peta of their high-value watches in a knifepoint raid at their house.
Intruders sporting balaclavas broke into their house in Ongar, Essex at about 2.30am on November 27, 2021 and threatened to stab the athlete, a trial at Chelmsford Crown Courtroom heard.
They took objects together with two Richard Mille watches with a mixed worth of £700,000.
Romario Henry, 31, of Bell Inexperienced, Lewisham, south-east London, denied two counts of theft however was discovered responsible following a trial and sentenced on Tuesday to fifteen years in jail.
Ali Sesay, 28, of Holding Road, Rainham, Kent, admitted two counts of theft and was jailed for 12 years.
“This was critical organised crime,” Choose David Turner KC informed the defendants as he sentenced them. “This was no run-of-the-mill home housebreaking by opportunist amateurs.
“This was deliberate, focused, orchestrated, ruthless offending geared toward an internationally identified sportsman and his spouse who occurred to be model ambassadors for exceptionally priceless Richard Mille watches.”
The trial was informed that Sesay’s DNA was discovered on Mrs Cavendish’s telephone, which was taken and located exterior the property.
The costs have been that the accused males robbed Cavendish of a watch, telephone and protected, and robbed his spouse of a watch, telephone and suitcase.
Mrs Cavendish, who like her husband was bare through the theft, had informed jurors she had heard a noise that woke her within the evening and went downstairs to analyze.
She mentioned she might see “males’s figures in balaclavas, they usually have been working in direction of the underside of the steps”, and that she believed there have been “between three and 5” individuals.
Courtroom artist sketch of Peta Cavendish giving proof, watched by Choose David Turner, at Chelmsford Crown Courtroom
She informed the court docket she ran again to the bed room shouting “get again” or “get in” to her husband, who was unable to activate a panic alarm.
Mrs Cavendish mentioned one of many intruders “dragged” Cavendish “from his ft and began punching him”.
One had her husband in a headlock, she mentioned, including: “One in all them held a big black knife to his throat they usually mentioned ‘the place’s the watches?’ and ‘would you like me to stab you?”‘. She agreed with a suggestion that it was a Rambo-style knife.
Mrs Cavendish mentioned that on the time her husband had been “out of hospital for 4 days, perhaps” after a biking crash which left him with three damaged ribs and a tear to his left lung.
She mentioned that when she went downstairs after the intruders had left, she noticed {that a} patio door was smashed, and Cavendish reduce his ft on the damaged glass.
Edward Renvoize, prosecuting, mentioned Henry had a earlier conviction for supplying medication in 2012, and for perverting the course of justice in 2013 by “helping in burning out a automobile that had been utilized in a homicide as a part of a gang enterprise”.
Archangelo Energy, for Henry, mentioned the defendant’s brother had been murdered three and a half months earlier than the theft and that had a “important bearing on the psychological make-up of the defendant”. Mr Energy mentioned Henry had been “on the verge of committing suicide”.
Mark Cavendish and his spouse had high-value watches stolen within the theft
Mr Renvoize mentioned that Sesay had admitted at an earlier listening to to 6 unrelated firearms offences over the possession of two weapons and ammunition, when he had been prohibited by a earlier sentence from possessing such objects.
The prosecutor mentioned Sesay was arrested at an deal with in Thornton Heath, south London, on December 16 2021 and officers “had to make use of a chainsaw to realize entry” and noticed objects, later discovered to be firearms, being thrown from a window to a neighbouring backyard.
The decide jailed Sesay for eight years for the firearms offences, consecutive to the 12-year jail sentence for the theft, making a complete of 20 years. The decide mentioned Sesay had earlier convictions together with for provide of cocaine and heroin in 2017.
Graeme Molloy, for Sesay, mentioned the defendant was “actually sorry for his position” within the theft and had admitted his involvement.
Talking concerning the firearms offences, Mr Molloy mentioned Sesay claimed the weapons weren’t his however that he had thrown them from the window. Mr Molloy mentioned the weapons “have been loaded however the cartridge wasn’t within the firing chamber”.
Jurors have been informed that two different males, Jo Jobson, from Plaistow, east London, and George Goddard, from Loughton in Essex, have been named as suspects within the theft however haven’t been apprehended. Jobson was 25 and Goddard 26 on the time of a police enchantment final March.
Oludewa Okorosobo, 28, of Flaxman Street, Camberwell, south London, denied two counts of theft and was cleared by jurors after a trial.
