[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch and his family went through a terrifying ordeal earlier this month after a knife-wielding man broke onto their property in London and taunted them.
According to reports, a 35-year-old man named Jack Bissell allegedly “kicked his way through” the front gate of Cumberbatch’s north London property while the 46-year-old actor, his 45-year-old wife Sophie Hunter, and their three young children were all inside. Then, with the family hiding in terror, Bissell allegedly taunted the family with threats and comments as he terrorized their outdoor garden and yard.
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Per DailyMail.com, a court in London heard Bissell’s case following his arrest on the allegations weeks ago. During the recently-revealed court reporting of the incident, which was first published on Monday, that outlet notes the man repeatedly screamed this unsettling remark towards Cumberbatch’s family after he broke onto the property:
“I know you’ve moved here, I hope it burns down.”
Whoa.
Cumberbatch and his family had in fact moved there — nearly a decade ago. Regardless, the entire family could reportedly hear Bissell’s taunts from inside.
While he was out in the garden acting unpredictably, the man “pulled out one of the family’s plants and threw it at the garden wall,” before spitting at the intercom. Then, he allegedly “ripped the intercom off the wall” while using a fish knife.
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The man left the property before police could arrive. However, the spit he hurled at the intercom was later used to identify his DNA, and he was arrested.
It is unclear why he targeted Cumberbatch’s family. In court, it also came out that Bissell allegedly bought “two packets of pita bread” from a market nearby the star’s home just before the break-in. There, the store owner reported Bissell told him that he was planning on breaking into the actor’s property in order to “burn it to the ground.”
Earlier this month, during a court proceeding on the case, Bissell admitted to doing criminal damage to the Sherlock star’s property. The embattled man was fined £250 on the charge. He was also given a three-year restraining order that bans him from being near Cumberbatch, his family, and their home.
A source close to the actor reported to 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 fact that it was a targeted intrusion makes it a lot more scary.”
No kidding…
Per the Daily Mail, Bissell has been previously arrested several times before. In 2015, he was detained during a protest in central London against military intervention in Syria. He also reportedly has “a previous conviction for theft, three warnings for offenses against property, a public order offense, and a drug offense.”
Here’s hoping Cumberbatch and his family can remain safe from here on out.
What an awful situation.
[Image via MEGA/WENN]
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