UK Edition
Two Mark Cavendish robbery suspects still at large, court told
The Olympic cyclist was allegedly held at knifepoint in his home in November 2021 by a group of men, two of whom are now on trial
Two of the men suspected of carrying out a terrifying knifepoint robbery at the home of Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish remain at large, a court has heard.
The 37-year-old was in bed with his wife Peta Todd and their three-year-old son in November 2021 when masked intruders broke in, beating and threatening to stab him, before making off with two Richard Mille watches worth a total of £700,000.
Two men, Romario Henry and Oludewa Okorosobo, are on trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, while a third, Ali Sesay admitted two counts of robbery during a previous hearing.
But the jury was told two suspects, Jo Jobson and George Goddard, had not yet been apprehended and remained at large.
On the second day of the trial, Edward Renvoize, prosecuting, said as well as stealing the high-value watches, the gang had also taken Ms Todd's mobile phone.
But it was later recovered from outside the couple’s house in Ongar, Essex and when it was examined, forensic experts found DNA belonging to 28-year-old Sesay from Rainham, east London.
Mr Renvoize explained: “Police began examining communications made by Mr Sesay’s telephone and from that, the prosecution say, it was possible to identify individuals who had been in touch with Mr Sesay.
“And by further investigation, where those phones attributed to other individuals had been, where they had travelled to and where they had come back to.”
Not possible to locate Jobson and Goddard
Det Constable Brian Eagling, the officer in the case, agreed with the prosecutor that Mr Jobson and Mr Goddard had been identified as suspects from communications data.
But he told the court it had not been possible to locate the pair and said investigations to find them remained “sensitive”.
Mr Renvoize told jurors: “Although they haven’t been apprehended by police, the prosecution say it’s quite clear from the evidence that they were involved, but of course you are not being asked to return verdicts upon them.”
Mr Henry, 31, from Lewisham, south east London, and 28-year-old Mr Okorosobo, from Camberwell, south London, are on trial and both deny two counts of robbery.
They are accused of robbing Cavendish of a watch, phone and safe, and of robbing his wife, who is a model, of a watch, phone and suitcase.
They deny the charges and the trial continues.