Two men who were part of a gang that broke into Mark Cavendish's home and terrorised him and his family at knifepoint have been jailed in the UK today. Watches valued at €800,000 were stolen during the attack in Essex in November, 2021.
Romario Henry (31), Bell Green, Lewisham, and Ali Sesay (28), Holding Street, Rainham, have been sentenced today at Chelmsford Crown Court. Henry was jailed for 15 years and Sesay for 12 years.
Henry had denied taking part in the robbery but was convicted on two counts of robbery after a trial last month. Sesay entered a guilty plea and was sentenced with his accomplice today. As well as the 12-year sentence for the violent robbery, Sesay was also sentenced to a further eight years for six firearms charges, unrelated to the robbery.
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Raiders smashed their way into Cavendish’s family home in Essex, attacked him and threatened to stab him in front of his wife and children unless he led them to specific watches they wanted to steal. The fact he had one of the watches was well publicised as he had worn it while racing, generating a number of media stories.
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The raiders eventually left the house in Ongar, Essex, after a matter of minutes, taking the watches and other items valued at £700,000, or €800,000. Cavendish's wife, Peta, managed to hide her 3-year-old child under a duvet so he would not witness the attack, which was described as well planned.
The trial heard Cavendish and his wife were in bed with their child when they were woken by noise coming from downstairs at about 2.30am on November 27th, 2021. At the time, Cavendish was recovering from a bad crash just days earlier at the Gent Six Day, during which he broke his ribs.
As he was injured, and because the couple did not initially know what the noise was, Peta Cavendish went to investigate. The court was told she then immediately saw a number of men – wearing balaclavas and carrying knives – running towards her.
She ran back upstairs and into the bedroom and shouted to her husband. As Cavendish looked for a panic alarm in the bedroom, up to three burglars jumped on him and punched him, demanding the alarm be disabled.
