On Tuesday, two men were jailed for stealing British cycling star Mark Cavendish and his wife Peta their expensive watch in a 2021 knife attack on their home.
The couple broke into a property about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of London in the early hours of November 27 of that year wearing balaclavas and threatened to stab the athlete.
They then took the items, including two Richard Mille watches worth £700,000 ($864,000).
Romario Henry, 31, from southeast London, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after a jury found him guilty on two counts of robbery last month by a 10-to-two majority of jurors.
Ali Sesai, 28, from Raynham, east of the capital, was jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to two counts of robbery at a previous hearing.
A third suspect, 28-year-old Oludeva Okosobo from south London, denied two counts of robbery and was acquitted by the jury.
“It was serious organized crime. This was no ordinary burglary committed by amateur opportunists,” Judge David Turner said as he handed down sentences at Chelmsford Crown Court, east of London.
“This was a planned, targeted, orchestrated, ruthless insult directed at a world-famous sportsman and his wife, who happen to be brand ambassadors for exceptionally valuable Richard Mille watches.”
During the trial, it was revealed that Cesay’s DNA was found in Peta Cavendish’s phone, which was found outside the property.
She described how she hid their three-year-old child under a blanket so as not to see what was happening during the robbery.
Holding back tears after Tuesday’s sentencing, she said the robbery “turned a loving family home into a constant reminder of threat and fear.”
Mark Cavendish also holds the Tour de France stage record with 34 wins and won an Olympic silver medal on the track at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
Last month, the 37-year-old signed a one-year contract with Astana, which, as a world tour team, is due to compete in the Tour de France in July.
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Source: sports.yahoo.com
