Spouse of Mark Cavendish tells demo balaclava-putting on intruder held black knife to husband’s throat

Mark Cavendish was continuously punched and experienced a significant black knife held to his throat when intruders broke into his £700,000 property, his spouse has instructed a theft trial.

The Olympic bicycle owner, 37, was asleep along with his spouse Peta when balaclava-clad burglars broke into his household in the Ongar location of Essex on November 27, 2021.

They are accused of thieving a selection of things through the split-in, like two Richard Mille watches valued at £400,000 and £300,000. Prosecutors also say they took two phones, a suitcase and a risk-free.

Romario Henry, 31, and Oludewa Okorosobo, 28, are currently standing demo at Chelmsford Crown Court docket billed with two counts of robbery.

A courtroom artist sketch of Peta Cavendish (still left) providing evidence, watched by Decide David Turner (proper), at Chelmsford Crown Court docket right now

The Olympic bicycle owner, 37, was asleep together with his wife Peta (pictured with each other) when balaclava-clad burglars broke into his household

Providing evidence currently, Peta Cavendish advised jurors that she ‘heard a sound that woke me’ through the night time prior to heading downstairs to examine, adding that she was ‘naked’ at the time.

Donning a black jumper and blazer with her dim hair in a ponytail, she said she had gone to mattress with her partner at 11.30pm, but extra: ‘As I received a couple methods down the stairs I could hear gentlemen talking but it was nonetheless dim.’

Mrs Cavendish recalled seeing ‘men’s figures in in balaclavas’ that started ‘running towards the bottom of the stairs’.

She claimed: ‘I know there were being among 3 and 5, I know there were being extra than a pair but I would not have been capable to say precisely how several (individuals there ended up).’

Edward Renvoize, prosecuting, asked her how she felt when she noticed the adult men in balaclavas.

Mrs Cavendish claimed it was ‘everyone’s worst nightmare’, incorporating that she ran up the stairs ‘as promptly as I could and I shouted a thing like “get back again” or “get in” to Mark’.

She then told of how a person of the thieves ‘dragged’ Cavendish ‘from his ft and commenced punching him’.

She ongoing: ‘One of the males then experienced him in a headlock. A single of them held a big black knife to his throat and they explained “where’s the watches” and “do you want me to stab you?”.’

Mrs Cavendish also agreed with Mr Renvoize that it appeared to be a Rambo-design knife.

She extra: ‘They ended up very precise about a watch. I experimented with to explain that actually we were being damaged into a couple of yrs beforehand, every thing has been taken.’

Her husband then showed the intruders wherever the protected was, the court docket read.

Mrs Cavendish went on: ‘It had a battery-operated PIN, there was absolutely nothing in it, it wasn’t currently being used so the battery had long gone useless.

CCTV issued by Essex Police of 1 of the watches stolen by armed intruders through the split-in

Olympic bicycle owner Mark Cavendish (pictured competing in the Tour de Pologne in Poland final calendar year) slice his toes on smashed glass adhering to the break-in

The court read that the intruders also took Mrs Cavendish’s £300,000 Richard Mille observe that experienced been on her bedside table 

‘It was becoming a lot more frantic as they weren’t receiving what they desired. They saved expressing “there need to be funds, there have to be jewelry.”‘

She explained that her spouse had been ‘out of hospital for 4 days maybe’ at the time following a biking crash which remaining him with three broken ribs and a tear to his still left lung.

The court heard that the burglars took her telephone, which had fallen from a bedside counter into an open up drawer, but was spotted by one particular of the adult males.

Mrs Cavendish claimed: ‘The guy on the landing that I was not mindful of shouted “she’s acquired her cellular phone, she’s bought her phone”.

‘One of the people today reported “give me the cell phone, did you simply call the law enforcement?”‘

She explained she subsequently threw her cellphone to the conclude of the mattress.

The intruders are also alleged to have stolen a £400,000 Richard Mille observe that ‘Mark raced in’, that had a blue strap and had been sat on a windowsill.

Mrs Cavendish claimed: ‘At initial it was not picked up but they did just take it.’

She added that they also took her £300,000 Richard Mille view that had been on her bedside table.

The court read that the men turned the bed room ‘upside down’ and that when they still left, Cavendish pressed a worry alarm to alert a private safety agency and the police.

She mentioned when she went downstairs she noticed that a patio doorway was smashed and that her spouse experienced reduce his ft on the smashed glass.

Mark Cavendish celebrates immediately after profitable the Men’s Elite race in Castle Douglas all through the 2022 British National Road Championships road race

Peta Cavendish beforehand recalled 1 of the thieves coming into the bedroom with a Louis Vuitton suitcase, the prosecutor explained (inventory picture)

Mrs Cavendish advised the courtroom that the burglars did not just take her engagement ring or wedding day ring or a necklace, nevertheless they had reported ‘show me your wrists, as if it’s possible I was carrying a watch’.

She claimed the thieves wore ‘darkish apparel, tracksuits possibly and gloves’.

She additional: ‘Definitely just one of them that experienced the knife, a single that took my cell phone was definitely black. Absolutely one particular of them was certainly white.

‘I feel the other was white I believe the human being on the landing was black.’

She agreed with Shahid Rashid, representing Okorosobo, that the scenario was ‘hectic’ and ‘frantic’.

Cycling star Cavendish also gave evidence in the demo currently, recalling how he woke to the sound of voices.

Wearing a blue jumper and white collared shirt, he claimed: ‘I received up to abide by her out (of the bedroom) and as I was stepping out of the room is when she commenced to appear back up (the stairs). 

‘She shouted “get in”. There ended up figures seriously close guiding her.’

He claimed he experienced tried out to press a worry alarm, but did not deal with to do so in the dim, and he was jumped on by an intruder who started to punch him in the head.

Cavendish extra: ‘One held me and yet another pulled out a knife and just held it in my face. It was not a knife you have in a kitchen.

‘It was black and experienced holes in it. It was a weapon.’

Cavendish explained that he is a brand name ambassador for Richard Mille watches and is often loaned timepieces to use.

Mr Renvoize claimed that there is a photograph of Cavendish at the GQ Awards putting on a Richard Mille observe that he had been loaned, and is not just one of the two that ended up taken, that was ‘partially covered’ by his sleeve.

The prosecutor extra that there ‘probably would have been purple carpet photographers’ at the party, to which Cavendish replied: ‘Correct.’

Questioned irrespective of whether his watch that was stolen was a 1-off, Cavendish replied that it was ‘one of four or five at the time, it was not readily available to the public’.

Henry, 31, of Lewisham in south east London and Okorosobo, of Camberwell in south London, both deny two counts of robbery.

Ali Sesay, 28, of Keeping Avenue, Rainham, Kent, admitted two counts of robbery at an earlier hearing.

The demo has been informed that his DNA was found on the mobile phone of Peta Cavendish, which was taken and observed outdoors the residence.

Two additional males, Jo Jobson and George Goddard, have been named as suspects in the circumstance but have not been apprehended by law enforcement.

The demo proceeds.