Two men who carried out the knifepoint robbery at Mark Cavendish's home have been sentenced to 15 and 12 years in prison respectively.
Intruders wearing balaclavas broke into the Olympic cyclist's Essex home at around 2.30am on November 27 2021 while the cyclist was asleep upstairs with his wife Peta, Chelmsford Crown Court was told.
The robbers stole several items, including two luxury Richard Mille watches with a combined value of £700,000. The court also heard that they threatened to stab Cavendish.
Romario Henry, 31, of Bell Green, Lewisham, south-east London, had initially denied two counts of robbery but was found guilty on both counts by a majority verdict last month, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Ali Seasy, 28 of Holding Street, Rainham, Kent, admitted two counts of robbery and was jailed for 12 years.
Peta had told the court during proceedings that she "heard a noise that woke me" in the night and went downstairs to investigate. "As I got a few steps down the stairs I could hear men speaking but it was still dark," she said.
"I know there were between three and five, I know there were more than a couple but I wouldn't have been able to say exactly how many (people there were)." She added that she then ran back upstairs "as quickly as I could and I shouted something like 'get back' or 'get in' to Mark".
It was then that one of the men "dragged" Cavendish "from his feet and started punching him" before "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?'."
Judge David Turner KC told the two men: "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."
Sesay also admitted to six separate firearms offences and was sentenced to eight years in prison, which will be served consecutive to the 12-year sentence he received for the robbery.
