A man has faced trial for his alleged involvement in a knifepoint robbery at the residence of Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish, despite turning himself in 18 months after his photo was circulated

in an appeal. Mark Cavendish and his wife Peta's home in Ongar, Essex, was invaded on November 27, 2021, by a group of individuals wearing balaclavas who threatened the couple and Mark Cavendish himself. The prosecution claims that Jo Jobson, aged 27 and with no fixed address, is guilty of two counts of robbery in Chelmsford Crown Court.

According to the prosecutor, Edward Renvoize, the intruders stole two high-value Richard Mille watches, totaling £700,000, during the raid, which took place at around 02:30 GMT while the couple's children were at home. Mr. Jobson, who handed himself in to Chelmsford Police Station on June 5, 2023, is accused of taking a watch, two phones, and a safe from Mr. Cavendish, and a watch, phone, and suitcase from Mrs. Cavendish.

The prosecutor described the raid as a "well-orchestrated and executed, planned invasion of a home of well-known individuals with the intention of grabbing high-value timepieces." One of the intruders took Mrs. Cavendish's mobile phone and left it outside the property, which Mr. Renvoize said was a "significant error in what was an otherwise carefully executed plan."

Mrs. Cavendish revealed in a statement that one of the intruders had threatened to stab her husband, and Mr. Cavendish recounted in his statement that the intruders were "screaming 'Where are the watches?'" and "demanding to know where the safe and the money were." The jury was informed that two other individuals had been previously convicted "for their involvement in the offenses." Judge Timothy Walker instructed the jurors to disregard any press reports they may have encountered about the case.

The trial is ongoing. Photo by David Kusserow, Wikimedia commons.