03 January 2023 , 19:07
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Intruders robbed Mark Cavendish's house and threatened to 'stab up' the Olympian in front of his children, a court has been told.
The alleged robbery saw the intruders steal two Richard Mille watches, valued at £400,000 and £300,000 respectively.
At the time of the incident Cavendish and his family were said to have been in bed in their Essex home, before being awoken in the early hours on November 27, 2021. Following the disturbance it was the Olympian's wife Peta who went to investigate as her husband was recovering from injuries.
Initially Mrs Cavendish thought the noise was coming from her eldest son who had gone downstairs and potentially 'knocked something over'.
Soon after though she discovered the intruders were 'running towards her', the court were told. Detailing the account prosecutor Edward Renvoize said: "She ran back up the stairs shouting for her husband to get back into the bedroom," before Mr Cavendish looked for a 'panic alarm he had'.
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After alerting the alarm, Renvoize added: "[The intruders] began punching him and telling him to turn the alarm off. One produced a knife and threatened to stab him up in front of his children.
"At this point there were three in the room and they began asking where the watches were.
Mark Cavendish and his wife Peta attempted to hide their children (PA)"There was a safe in the room and he was ordered to open it. When he tried the battery appeared to have gone dead. He said there was nothing in it anyway as the couple had been burgled the year before and everything had been taken.
"He was repeatedly asked where the other safe was."
In what was clearly a distressing time for the family, the prosecutor revealed Mrs Cavendish looked to 'hide' her child, adding: "Mrs Cavendish during this time was looking after her three-year-old child.
Mark Cavendish's family were disturbed in their own home in November 2021 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)"She was keeping her three-year-old son under the duvet to prevent him seeing the ordeal in the bedroom."
The court then heard that Peta then attempted to call the police but as she did, the intruders grabbed the phone from her hand. Upon their escape, the prosecutor revealed the thieves demanded the gates were open, as they left with the watches, a Louis Vuitton suitcase and phones.
Mrs Cavendish's phone was later found on the driveway of the property.
Romario Henry, 31, of Bell Green, Lewisham, Oludewa Okorosobo, 28, of Flaxman Road, Camberwell both deny two counts of robbery and are on trial. The trial, estimated to last two weeks, continues.