ONGAR: Third man convicted over armed raid at home of cyclist Mark Cavendish and his family
8.33pm - Monday, October 30
A man who spent 19 months attempting to evade justice has been convicted of his part in a violent robbery at the home near Ongar of British cycling champion Mark Cavendish and his wife Peta.
The couple’s home was entered by a number of men in the early hours of Saturday, November 27, 2021.
During the incident, Mr Cavendish was seriously assaulted and violently threatened in front of his family.
The intruders left with a Louis Vuitton suitcase and two watches.
Two men, Ali Sesay and Romario Henry, have already been convicted and sentenced to a combined total of 35 years in February this year.
At that stage, two men remained outstanding, one of whom was Jo Jobson.
On June 5, Jobson was arrested at Chelmsford Police Station and questioned on suspicion of robbery and GBH.
The 26-year-old, of no fixed address, was charged with two counts of robbery, both relating to the incident in November 2021.
Jobson denied all charges and a five-day trial was held at Chelmsford Crown Court.Today (Monday) Jobson was found guilty of both counts.
He will be sentenced on Wednesday (November 1).
Detective Chief Inspector Tony Atkin, who has led the investigation from the outset, said:“Today is a significant milestone in this investigation.
“Within days of the incident, we identified Jobson’s involvement in this offence and set about trying to trace his where abouts.
"The investigative team went about building strong cases against his associates, who were subsequently jailed for a significant period of time in February this year, whilst efforts continued to pursue Jobson, which included both appeals to the public via the press and Crimewatch.
“In June this year, he was arrested. He believed he could evade justice, but he was wrong. I said many times throughout this investigation that we would not stop looking for him.”
DCI Atkin added: “We know the group responsible for this are connected to organised crime. This robbery was targeted and it was violent. More than anything else, it was carried out in front of Mark and Peta’s young family.
“As a dad myself, I have been determined to bring the people responsible for this crime to justice.
“Jobson’s conviction leaves just one final piece of the jigsaw - and that is George Goddard.
“Goddard remains outstanding and we are continuing our efforts to locate him and I would reiterate my message to him; you cannot stay hidden forever; those who may be helping you cannot help you forever. It is in your best interests to come forward.”
Goddard is from Loughton but has connections across east London.
Anyone with information on Goddard should contact Essex Police on 101 and cite ‘Operation Chamber’. Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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