Two men were jailed for a nighttime burglary in which they threatened Mark Cavendish, his wife Peta, and their family with a knife in an attempt to steal an expensive watch.

According to information confirmed at trial, the thieves broke into the Cavendish home in southern England on the night of November 27, 2021, and threatened to stab the Manx with a huge knife.

They made off with a number of items, including two Richard Mille watches totaling £700,000.

According to several British news reports, Romario Henry denied the two robbery charges, but was found guilty after a trial and sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday. Ali Sesay pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The trial was told that Sesay's DNA was found on Peta Cavendish's cell phone, which was found outside the family's home.

The jury was told that two other men had been named as suspects in the robbery but had not been arrested, and that the other had been cleared by the jury after the trial.

"This was a premeditated, targeted, orchestrated, and ruthless crime against an internationally renowned sportsman and his wife, who happened to be a brand ambassador for a very valuable Richard Mille watch," Judge David Turner, according to the Daily Mail told the defendants as he handed down the sentence.

Peta Cavendish choked back tears during Tuesday's sentencing, saying the burglary had "turned a beloved family home into a constant reminder of the threat and fear."

Outside the courtroom after the sentencing, she said: "No family should have to go through what we went through, and I'm glad they were both sent to jail for quite some time today."

"But no matter what the sentence was, no matter what the parents were, understand that we will never be able to make up for what they did to us that night in prison."

"I am sure they understand that they will never be able to make up for what they did to us that night in prison.

Essex Police Lieutenant Tony Atkin said: "The strength shown by the Cavendish family since this incident, both during the investigation and during the trial, has been incredible.

"Today we saw two men sentenced for their part in a case that, as Peta says, no family should ever have to go through. Unfortunately, they did experience it. Since then, we have done everything in our power to identify those involved."

During the trial, Cavendish delayed confirming his arrival in Astana Kazakstan and giving evidence because he prioritized the safety of his family.

"I have been going through a lot in my personal life lately. I am worried about my family's safety and I am grateful to the Astana team for giving me time to focus on that," Cavendish told L'Equipe in January.

Cavendish will travel to the Middle East to make his debut with Astana Kazakstan in the Muscat Classic one-day race on Friday, followed by the Tour of Oman.