Mark Cavendish robbery: Two men jailed for raid at cyclist's home

Two men have been jailed for a knifepoint robbery at the family home of elite cyclist Mark Cavendish.

Romario Henry, 31, of south-east London, and Ali Sesay, 28, of Kent, broke into Mr Cavendish's home in Ongar, Essex, on 27 November 2021.

Henry, who denied the crime, was found guilty of two counts of robbery last month. Sesay pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

Chelmsford Crown Court sentenced Henry to 15 years in prison and Sesay 12.

The court was told the balaclava-wearing intruders broke into Mr Cavendish's home and threatened to stab the Olympian, who was recovering from breaking his ribs in a cycling crash.

Mr Cavendish's wife, Peta, and children were in the property.

Fighting back tears during the sentencing, Mrs Cavendish 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 the family "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" when the raid happened and a time when she "should have been happy and excited was then transformed into a period of stress and worry".

She had told the jury during the trial how she covered her three-year-old child, who was in 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 about 02:30 GMT.

The court was told Mr Cavendish, who jointly holds the record for most stage wins in the Tour de France, was robbed of a watch, phone and safe.

His wife was robbed of a watch, phone and suitcase.

Judge David Turner, sentencing, said: "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."

During the trial, Mrs Cavendish told jurors one of the intruders "dragged" her husband "from his feet and started punching him".

One had him in a headlock, she said, adding: "One of them held a large black knife to his throat and they said 'where's the watches?' and 'do you want me to stab you?"'

She agreed with a suggestion that it was a Rambo-style knife.

Speaking outside the court after sentencing, she said: "No family should ever have to go through what we went through and I'm glad that two of the people have been sent to jail today for significant periods of time.

"But no matter what the sentence was any parent will understand, I'm sure, that no time in prison could make up for what they did to us that night."

Det Insp Tony Atkin, from Essex Police, said: "The strength the Cavendish family has shown since this incident, throughout the investigation and throughout the trial has been incredible.

"Today, we've seen two men sentenced for their part in an incident that, as Peta says, no family should ever have to go through.

"Unfortunately, they did. And since then, we have done everything in our power to identify those involved."

Police said they were trying to locate two men George Goddard and Jo Jobson in relation to the incident.

Sesay, of Rainham, Kent, also admitted to six unrelated firearms offences and was sentenced to a further eight years in prison, consecutive to the 12-year jail sentence for the robbery.

Graeme Molloy, for Sesay, said the defendant was "truly sorry for his role" in the robbery and had admitted his involvement.

Archangelo Power, for Henry, said the defendant's brother had been murdered three-and-a-half months before the robbery and that had a "significant bearing" on his "psychological make-up".

Henry, of Bell Green, Lewisham, appeared on trial with co-defendant Oludewa Okorosobo, 28, of Flaxman Road, Camberwell, south London, who was found not guilty.

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