Masked thug GUILTY of holding Rambo knife to Mark Cavendish’s throat in front of wife and kids in terrifying raid
A MASKED raider has been found guilty of holding a Rambo knife to Mark Cavendish’s throat in a terrifying robbery.
Wife Peta, 36, also had a knife pointed at her as she desperately tried to hide their son under a duvet.
The gang made off with £700,000 worth of goods in the “planned invasion” of the couple’s home in Ongar, Essex.
Romario Henry, 31, was today convicted of two counts of robbery for his part in the raid.
His co-defendant Oludewa Okorosobo, 28, was cleared of the same charges.
Two more suspects, Jo Jobson and George Goddard, are still on the loose.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard how the gang burst into the couple’s rural home on November 27, 2021.
Peta had gone to investigate a noise downstairs when she heard men’s voices.
She wept as she revealed how she yelled at her cyclist husband to “get back” as the gang started running towards her.
The former model said Mark was violently attacked by the robbers, who “dragged him from his feet and started punching him”.
Peta added: “One of the men got him in a headlock and one held a large black knife to his throat. It was serrated.
“They said, ‘Where’s the watches’ and, ‘Do you want me to stab you up in front of your kid?'”
She also told jurors how she shielded their son after seeing the balaclava-clad men during her “worst nightmare”.
Peta said the raiders demanded, “Where’s the watches, where’s the safe?” as she held the duvet over the tot.
She said her son was “crying and shaking” as Olympic silver medallist Mark was attacked.
The cyclist, who was recovering from injuries sustained in a crash at the time, also recalled how a knife was held to his face.
The court was told the men turned Peta’s dressing room “upside down” as they rifled through their belongings.
Peta and Mark had a safe in the room but it was empty and the batteries in the PIN panel had also died so it could not be opened.
Peta added: “The men were becoming increasingly agitated by the fact he couldn’t open it.
“[Mark] was being beaten up on the floor.”
The robbers eventually made off with two Richard Mille watches worth £400,000 and £300,000.
They also stole the empty safe, three phones and a Louis Vuitton suitcase.
Mark triggered the panic alarm but by the time the private security company showed up, the raiders had fled.
Security camera images show the raiders’ two getaway cars – a Mercedes E220 and a Mitsubishi Outlander with stolen number plates.
Police were able to trace the movements of the Mercedes because it had a built-in SIM card for accessing the internet.
When officers arrived, they found Peta’s phone which had been snatched and abandoned outside.
Ali Sesay, 28, admitted his part in the raid after his DNA was found on the mobile.
He will be sentenced on February 7 along with Henry.