Third man denies robbing Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish and his wife

Ali Sesay, 27, pleaded not guilty to the charges at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Mark Cavendish (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)

A third man has denied robbing Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish and his wife Peta.

Ali Sesay, 27, pleaded not guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court to robbing Cavendish of a watch, phone and safe, and also denied robbing the athlete’s wife of a watch, phone and suitcase.

It comes after Romario Henry, 31, and 28-year-old Oludewa Okorosobo denied two counts of robbery at a hearing earlier this week.

All three defendants face a trial from October 3, with a time estimate of 10 days.

Cavendish and his wife were threatened at their home in the Ongar area of Essex at about 2.35am on November 27 last year.

Essex Police said no-one sustained serious injuries, but Cavendish said in a statement that his family were “extremely distressed” and “feared for their lives”.

The force said a Louis Vuitton suitcase and two high-value watches were stolen.

Henry, of Bell Green, Lewisham, south-east London; Okorosobo, of Flaxman Road, Camberwell, south London; and Sesay, of Holding Street, Rainham, east London, have all been remanded in custody.

Sesay’s barrister said at a hearing on Friday that an application to dismiss the charges would not be pursued.