Mark Cavendish's wife 'turned off house alarm' on night of violent robbery at their Essex home

ANGLIA 050123 MARK AND PETA CAVENDISH PA
Mark Cavendish and his wife Peta. Credit: PA

The house alarm at Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish's house had been disarmed by his wife before intruders burst in and held his family up at knifepoint, a court was told.

Masked robbers broke into his Essex home as he was asleep upstairs with his wife Peta with their three-year-old child also in the bed, Chelmsford Crown Court was told.

The athlete was punched and a raider threatened to stab him before the gang made off with items including two Richard Mille watches, valued at a total of £700,000, in the early hours of 27 November 2021, the prosecution said.

PC Adem Harman was one of two officers who first arrived at the scene, where he met a "very distressed" Cavendish.

The officer told the court he went "straight to the front door" and first spoke to Cavendish, who was wearing a pair of shorts, then spoke to Mrs Cavendish.

"Briefly, she told me that she was home, she popped down to get a glass of water, turned off the alarm, and went to bed without resetting it," said PC Harman.

The court had previously heard that two suspects wanted in connection with the Cavendish robbery are still at large Credit: ITV Sport

"She was alerted to a noise, suspected it was her kids awaking in the night, opened the door and was confronted by several suspects."

Asked how Cavendish and his wife seemed to him, the officer replied: "Very distressed."

PC Harman said he confirmed that the suspects had already left, and that Cavendish and his wife said that no-one was badly injured.

"Both parties were very distressed so were talking and trying to convey as much information as they could," he said.

He said that the pair told him that the suspects "rushed into their bedroom, demanded watches and other property".

Romario Henry, 31, of south-east London and Oludewa Okorosobo, 28, of south London, both deny two counts of robbery.

Ali Sesay, 28, of Rainham, Kent, admitted two counts of robbery at an earlier hearing. The trial was previously told that his DNA was found on the phone of Peta Cavendish, which was taken and found outside their home.

Two further men, Jo Jobson and George Goddard, have been named as suspects in the case but have not been apprehended by police.

The case continues.

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