Benedict Cumberbatch and his family reportedly feared for their lives as a knife-wielding man recently broke into the Marvel star’s North London home and threatened them.
According to the Daily Mail, 35-year-old Jack Bissell, who previously worked as a chef at the Beaumont Hotel in Mayfair, kicked his way through the front gate of the “Doctor Strange” star’s multi-million dollar property, allegedly shouting, “I know you’ve moved here, I hope it burns down.”
Cumberbatch, 46, his wife, Sophia Hunter, 45, and their three children were reportedly in the home at the time of the break-in and could hear the intruder screaming outside.
Bissell also reportedly took one of the family’s plants and threw it against the garden wall, and at one point ripped the intercom off the building after spitting on it.
The former chef reportedly fled the scene before police arrived. However, authorities were able to track him down due to the DNA evidence he left on the intercom.
Bissell was reportedly arrested, fined and hit with a three-year restraining order from the Cumberbatch family.
A source told the outlet: “Naturally all of the family were absolutely terrified and thought this guy was going to get in and hurt them.
“Luckily it never went that far. Benedict and Sophie have had many sleepless nights since worrying that they may be targeted again,” the insider said. “The fact that it was a targeted intrusion makes it a lot more scary.”
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During this month’s trial, prosecutors said Bissell allegedly told a nearby shopkeeper that he was going to break into Cumberland’s home and burn it down.
Bissell pled guilty and was sentenced on May 10. However, details surrounding the date the incident took place have not been disclosed.
Per the Daily Mail, facts of the case could not be reported until they “successfully challenged blanket reporting restrictions this week.”
It’s unclear what the connection is between Bissell and Cumberbatch.
Page Six has reached out to Cumberbatch’s rep but did not immediately hear back.
Cumberbatch and Hunter tied the knot in February 2015 at a star-studded ceremony in England.
The pair welcomed their first child, a son named Christopher, now 7, in June of that year. In March 2017, Hunter and the “Sherlock” star welcomed their second son, Hal, 6. And the couple welcomed their third child, Finn, in 2019.
Cumberbatch and Hunter have kept their three sons out of the spotlight.
