Former chef Jack Bissell reportedly kicked his way into Benedict Cumberbatch’s family home and went on a rampage with a fish knife, threatening to burn the house down.
The 35-year-old ex-chef previously worked at the five-star Beaumont Hotel in London’s Mayfair neighborhood. The alleged attack purportedly took place earlier in May, when Cumberbatch, his wife, Sophie, and their three children were inside the home. Bissell pulled a plant out of the ground, threw it at a garden wall, spat at the intercom and then cut it loose with a fish knife, Daily Mail reported Monday. Bissell continued to threaten the family from inside the $4.3 million home, shouting, “I know you’ve moved here, I hope it burns down,” according to the outlet.
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch’s home attacked by former chef wielding fish knife https://t.co/mtbrUpXq7a
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) May 30, 2023
“Naturally all of the family were absolutely terrified and thought this guy was going to get in and hurt them,” a source close to the family told Daily Mail. “Luckily it never went that far. Benedict and Sophie have had many sleepless nights since worrying that they may be targeted again.”
Reports indicate Bissell fled the scene and was later tracked down by police, who identified him using a DNA sample from the home’s intercom, according to the outlet.
Benedict Cumberbatch and his family have reportedly endured “many sleepless nights” after a chef attacked their home, kicking his way through an iron gate and screaming.https://t.co/iQ2Yci6psI
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) May 29, 2023
Bissell admitted criminal damage May 10 at Wood Green Crown Court, the outlet reported. He was fined roughly $300 and issued a three-year restraining order that restricts him from going near Cumberbatch’s family and neighborhood, according to Daily Mail.
Bissell did not offer a defense or explanation for his alleged actions in front of the court. He has previously been convicted of theft, and had three prior warnings for property, public order and drug-related offenses, the outlet reported. (RELATED: REPORT: Former NFL Star Robbed Of $1 Million In Jewelry And Personal Items)
Cumberbatch hasn’t issued a public statement about the alleged incident.