The terrifying details of an armed robbery at the home of British national road race champion, Mark Cavendish from November 2021 have been revealed as the trial of two defendants, both of whom have pleaded not guilty has begun.
According to prosecutors, the pair of accused threatened Cavendish with a knife as his wife and three-year-old son hid under the cover of a duvet. "One produced a knife and threatened to stab him up in front of their children," Prosecutor Edward Renvoize revealed. Calling the robbery a "well-executed planned invasion of the home of a well-known individual with the intention of grabbing high-value timepieces."
The high-value pieces mentioned there are said to have been a pair of Richard Mille watches owned by Cavendish that had a combined worth of over £700,000. Alongside the two watches, the intruders made away with the mobile phones of both Cavendish and his wife and some Louis Vuitton suitcases before ordering the Manx Missile to open the gates, allowing them to leave at 2:32AM.
Renvoize also described how Peta Cavendish had first become alerted to the home intrusion when she heard male voices coming from the kitchen. "She was next aware of figures of people running towards her," Renvoize said. "She ran back up the stairs, shouting for her husband to get back into the bedroom." Before the roberrs jumped on Cavendish, beating him down with punches. The trial is estimated to last two weeks.