Two men who threatened Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish at knifepoint before robbing his home have been jailed.

The balaclava-clad intruders, including one man from Medway, broke into the 37-year-old's home on November 27, 2021, as he slept upstairs with his wife.

Ali Sesay, 28, of Holding Street, Rainham, and Romario Henry, 31, from Lewisham, stole two Richard Mille watches valued at £700,000 when they raided the former GB athlete's Essex home at around 2.30am.

Sesay was jailed for 12 years, while Henry was given a 15-year sentence.

Mr Cavendish was in bed with his wife Peta and three-year-old child when the robbery took place.

The men were accused and found guilty of robbing Mr Cavendish of a watch, phone and safe – as well as his wife's watch, phone and suitcase.

Sesay’s DNA was found on Peta Cavendish’s phone, which was also stolen and later found outside the property.

Mrs Cavendish, who – like her husband – was naked during the robbery, told jurors she woke in the night due to a noise and went downstairs to investigate.

She saw “men’s figures in balaclavas and they were running towards the bottom of the stairs”, saying she believes there were “between three and five” of them.

Mrs Cavendish ran back to her bedroom, shouting “get back” or “get in” to her husband, who was unable to activate a panic alarm.

She told the trial one of the intruders “dragged” Mr Cavendish “from his feet and started punching him”.

One had her husband in a headlock, she said, adding: “One of them held a large black knife to his throat and they said ‘Where’s the watches?’ and ‘Do you want me to stab you?’”

She agreed with a suggestion it was a Rambo-style knife while, in his evidence, Mr Cavendish said it “wasn’t a knife you have in a kitchen”.

“It was black and had holes in it," he said, adding: “It was a weapon.”

Fighting back tears at today's sentencing Mrs Cavendish said the robbery had “turned a loving family home into a constant reminder of threat and fear”.

"We will not let this event and these men’s actions define our family..."

In a statement, Mark and Peta Cavendish said: “Reliving our family’s experience from that night in November 2021 has been an incredibly difficult experience.

"What happened that night is something that no family should ever have to go through.

“Although nothing can ever erase what our family went through, there is now some comfort that two men who broke into our family home and stole from us, assaulted Mark and terrified our children are now convicted and will be facing what we hope will be an appropriate sentence for their actions and we hope moves some steps in preventing this horror happening to another innocent family.

“We have worked and continue to work incredibly hard as a family to move on from that night as best we can, to make it a distant memory.

"It has been immensely difficult and in fact there have been times when it has felt impossible, but we will not let this event and these men’s actions define our family.

“We are moving forward together as a family.

“We would like to thank Essex Police and in particular the officers we’ve had most contact with – DI Tony Atkin and all his team at Loughton CID – and the legal team."

Detective Superintendent Bonnie Moore added: "Incidents such as this are among the most violating crimes and we work incredibly hard in Essex in order to identify robbers and burglars, arrest them and put them before the courts.

“The amount of work by Tony’s dedicated team at Loughton CID should not be underestimated; this investigation has been incredibly complex, and it is a testament to them that, at this stage, we have been able to secure two convictions.

“To the Cavendish family, thank you for trusting us to achieve justice for you.

"I cannot imagine the trauma that you have been through, but I sincerely hope that these convictions are of some comfort.

“At Essex, we have long had a commitment to attend residential burglaries and to work hard to identify those responsible for them. We don’t just attend; we convict.”

The two men still wanted in connection with this investigation are Jo Jobson, from Plaistow, and George Goddard, from Loughton. Goddard also has links to the Isle of Dogs, in London.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the two men should contact police on 101 and cite "Operation Chamber".

You can also report any information on the men to Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or by submitting a report on its website.