The trial of two men accused of robbing Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish and his wife Peta is set to begin on Tuesday.
Romario Henry, 31, and 28-year-old Oludewa Okorosobo will appear at Chelmsford Crown Court.
Cavendish and his wife were threatened at their home in the Ongar area of Essex at about 2.35am on November 27th last year, with their children witnessing the incident.
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, and Okorosobo, of Flaxman Road, Camberwell, south London, deny two counts of robbery.
