Mark Cavendish robbery trial told accused was in car used to travel to break-in

A person accused of robbing Olympic bicycle owner Mark Cavendish advised a court docket he was in a automobile used to journey to the break-in however insisted he was not conscious of or concerned within the crime.

Balaclava-clad intruders broke into Cavendish’s dwelling in Ongar, Essex, on November 27, 2021, whereas he was asleep upstairs along with his spouse Peta, with their three-year-old youngster additionally within the mattress, prosecutors mentioned.

Mrs Cavendish mentioned that one of many raiders held a Rambo-style knife to her husband’s throat and threatened to stab him earlier than the gang made off.

Two Richard Mille watches, valued at £400,000 and £300,000, have been among the many objects taken within the knifepoint break-in at about 2.30am.

Romario Henry, 31, of Bell Inexperienced, Lewisham, south-east London, and Oludewa Okorosobo, 28, of Flaxman Highway, Camberwell, south London, deny two counts of theft.

They’re accused of robbing Cavendish of a watch, telephone and protected, and his spouse of a watch, telephone and Louis Vuitton suitcase.

Ali Sesay, 28, of Holding Road, Rainham, Kent, admitted two counts of theft at an earlier listening to and the trial was advised his DNA was discovered on the telephone of Mrs Cavendish after it was dropped outdoors the house.

Two additional males, Jo Jobson and George Goddard, have been named as suspects within the case however haven’t been apprehended by police.

Henry accepted being in a Mercedes Benz which travelled from Windsor Highway, the place Okorosobo was dwelling, to Ongar within the early hours of November 27, 2021, at Chelmsford Crown Court docket.

Giving proof on Monday, he insisted that although he was within the automobile on the night time in query, he was not conscious of a plan to rob the Cavendishes and was not concerned within the theft.

He had been visiting his brother’s grave earlier on the night of November 26, the place he mentioned he drank and took medication, the court docket heard.

Jurors heard that Henry’s brother, Tashawn Watt, was murdered in June 2021 within the Lewisham dwelling they shared with their mom.

After visiting the grave, Henry made his approach to Windsor Highway earlier than leaving there with Okorosobo, Sesay and a driver he refused to determine, it’s mentioned.

Henry claimed that Okorosobo was dropped off at his brother’s home earlier than the automobile then travelled out of London.

Henry advised the court docket that he thought he was going to Sesay’s ex-partner’s home.

He mentioned Sesay and the motive force bought out of the automobile in Ongar however he didn’t know on the time the place they have been or what they have been doing.

He added that he couldn’t inform jurors precisely the place the automobile was parked earlier than his companions left.

The court docket heard Henry didn’t depart the car.

Requested about his bodily and psychological state at that time, Henry mentioned: “I used to be out of it.”

Pressed throughout cross-examination on what he thought was taking place when Sesay and the motive force bought out of the automobile, Henry mentioned: “I used to be so tousled. The impact that these medication had had on me on that day.

“I used to be none the wiser. I used to be simply there. I can’t even describe to you proper now … how I used to be even working.”

He denied realizing a couple of plan to rob the Cavendish dwelling, denied being one of many 4 males caught coming into the property on CCTV, denied performing as a lookout, denied having been on any reconnaissance journeys there and denied any intention to affix in with the others to rob the Olympian’s household.

He additional denied realising “at any stage on the time” that the others have been aspiring to burgle the property.

Henry additionally advised jurors he didn’t see anybody load a Louis Vuitton suitcase or dummy protected within the automobile, and didn’t see any watches nor any weapons.

He advised the court docket: “Folks in my automobile wasn’t placing on balaclavas or brandishing knives.”

Henry “acknowledged” what had occurred the subsequent day, jurors heard.

Requested if he referred to as 999 the morning after, he mentioned: “Once I acknowledged what had occurred, I simply didn’t even need nothing to do with it.

“I simply didn’t wish to know.”

Henry advised jurors earlier that his psychological wellbeing deteriorated after his brother was killed.

“I began to drink … a whole lot of alcohol. I began to devour medication,” he advised the court docket.

He added that he would drink Hennessy “from morning till night time” and began to take small quantities of cocaine earlier than his drug consumption “escalated” to taking crack, hashish, Xanax and promethazine.

Henry mentioned: “On the time these have been the one issues that was crippling my ache.”