A former hotel manager has pleaded guilty to breaking into Benedict Cumberbatch’s London home in a stabbing rage that terrified the actor and his family.
Jack Bissell, 35, admitted to having suffered criminal damage earlier this month and was fined the equivalent of $310 by a judge who also imposed a three-year restraining order.
Bissell, who offered no defense and did not explain his actions, reportedly stood outside the house in north London shouting for the Marvel star.
“I know you’ve moved here, hope it burns,” he shouted, according to the Daily Mail.
Cumberbatch and his wife, Sophie Hunter, were home with their three children at the time. Bissell allegedly kicked through an iron gate, ripped a plant from a garden and threw it against a wall. Then he spat on an intercom and stabbed it with his fish knife, according to reports.
“Understandably the whole family was absolutely terrified and thought this guy was going to come in and harm them,” the Daily Mail reported, citing an unnamed source. “Fortunately, it never got that far. Benedict and Sophie have had many sleepless nights since fearing they could be targeted again.
“The fact that this was a targeted intrusion makes it that much scarier,” the source continued.
Bissell fled before authorities arrived and was later identified through DNA from the saliva he left behind. The case was kept under wraps until the Daily Mail successfully challenged the court restrictions.
The “Dr. Strange” star was at home with his wife and three young children during the incident.
Prosecutors reportedly told the court that Bissell bought bread from a local store earlier and told the landlord he planned to break into the house and set it on fire.
It is not known if Bissell. has a connection to Cumberbatch, who married Hunter in 2015 and welcomed three children in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Cumberbatch and his wife have sought to keep their children out of the spotlight.
Bissell, a former chef at a renowned restaurant, was arrested in 2015 while protesting British military aggression against Syria in his underwear. His record also includes convictions for theft and warnings for property, public order and drug offences, according to the outlet.
CORRECTION: An earlier version incorrectly reported the last name of Cumberbatch’s wife, Sophie Hunter.