Benedict Cumberbatch and his family were left fearing for their lives after a former chef broke into their home violently.
The Hollywood sensation became a key member of Marvel’s cinematic universe following his phenomenal portrayal of the wizard Doctor Strange. However, playing the powerful on-screen character did not make the entertainer invincible in the face of threats.
An unhinged man attacked the award-winning actor’s North London residence, causing several damages in what could have been a disastrous encounter for the Hammersmith native and his loved ones.
Benedict Cumberbatch And Family Falls Prey To An Unprovoked Raid From An Armed Man
The England heartthrob might be looking for better security following the recent invasion of his home. Per reports, a man named Jack Bissell invited himself onto “The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug” actor’s premises by kicking through the front garden’s iron gate.
The house, allegedly worth £ 3.5 million, received the worst of the perpetrator’s aggressive assault. Bissell, a former chef de partie at the five-star Beaumont Hotel in Mayfair, confidently launched his destructive rampage with a fish knife.
Per DailyMail, the 35-year-old was seemingly not in the right frame of mind as he took out his anger on Cumberbatch’s garden. He was seen kicking, stomping, pulling out one of the family’s plants, and throwing it against the garden wall.
As Bissell’s reign of terror occurred, the “Doctor Strange” star, his wife, Sophie Hunter, and their three children were inside the house. Although the walls protected them from their invader, the family could hear the armed chef ravaging their garden while screaming insults.
The verbal onslaught included several menacing threats, with the attacker allegedly yelling, “I know you’ve moved here. I hope it burns down.” Unsatisfied with ruining the family’s garden, Bissell spat on the intercom before ripping it out with his fish knife.
Following his violent outburst, the former luxury hotel staffer fled the scene but was later arrested by authorities. The police tracked down the chef using his DNA on the intercom.
The culprit pled guilty to criminal damage at Wood Green Crown Court, receiving a £250 fine and a three-year restraining order. The ban will stop Bissell from approaching the Cumberbatchs and their residential area.
Unfortunately, the reason for the trespasser’s attack remains a mystery, as the 35-year-old did not reveal why he traumatized the celebrity family when queried in court. However, Bissell’s actions did not seem like an unplanned wave of aggression.
According to prosecutors, on the day of his invasion, the former chef stopped by a nearby shop to purchase two packets of pitta bread. Before leaving, the culprit told the vendor that he would break into the Hollywood sensation’s house and burn it.
In the wake of Bissell’s attack, a source claimed the Cumberbatchs were horrified by the experience. “Naturally, all of the family were terrified and thought this guy was going to get in and hurt them,” the informant revealed.
“Luckily, it never went that far. Benedict and Sophie have had many sleepless nights since, worrying that they may be targeted again,” the insider explained. “The fact that it was a targeted intrusion makes it much more scary.”
Inside The Oscar Nominee’s Blossoming Relationship With His Wife, Sophie Hunter
While the “Sherlock” actor and his family deal with the horrifying situation, there is no doubt their love will see them through the difficult time.
Looking back at the beautiful relationship between the actor and his wife, the lovebirds met while working together on a movie like most Hollywood couples.
Hunter, a celebrated playwright and director, starred alongside the Hammersmith native in the 2009 film, “Burlesque Fairytales.” This meeting might have sparked the embers of their romance, but it remained unknown as the couple kept a low profile.
The duo avoided dating speculations until 2014 when they first appeared at the French Open in June. Five months later, the couple no one expected announced their engagement using an old-fashioned newspaper write-up in “The Times” Births, Deaths, and Marriages column.
As for why the couple chose this announcement mode, Cumberbatch confessed that he wanted a traditional route. The TV personality stated that he was not a fan of social media and did not want the public to see the pair as “some s—ty, grainy footage staring lovingly into each other’s eyes with a ring on someone’s finger.”
Finally, the couple tied the knot in a surprise Valentine’s Day wedding in 2015, shortly after revealing they were expecting their first child. The lovebirds said their vows in an intimate ceremony at St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church in Mottistone, England.
