Benedict Cumberbatch and his family were threatened by an angry chef wielding a fish knife, who tried to attack their home and rampaged around their garden: report
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- A knife-wielding chef tried to attack Benedict Cumberbatch's London home, The Times reported.
- The chef also spat on their intercom and gouged it out with a fish knife, a court heard, per The Times.
- The actor and his family have seen "sleepless nights" since, a source told the Daily Mail.
Benedict Cumberbatch and his family were left shaken after a chef carrying a knife tried to attack their home.
Jack Bissell, a former chef at the five-star Beaumont Hotel in Mayfair, forcibly entered Cumberbatch's property in north London and threatened him and his family, a court heard, per The Times.
He kicked his way in through the garden gate and yelled: "I know you've moved here, I hope it burns down," per The Times.
He then uprooted a garden plant and tossed it at a garden wall, before spitting on the actor's intercom device, the outlet reported. Bissell then used a fish knife to dislodge the intercom.
The police were later able to retrieve Bissell's DNA from the intercom, and arrested him, The Times reported.
The "Sherlock" actor was at home with his wife and three young children during the incident. It is unclear when the attack took place, but Bissell appeared before a court on May 10, pleaded guilty to criminal damage and received a $310 fine. He's also been ordered by the court to stay away from the family for three years, per The Times.
A source close to the actor's family told the Daily Mail: "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 source told the Daily Mail.
Bissell was previously convicted of theft and also had prior warnings on his record related to drug, property, and public order offenses, The Times reported.
Cumberbatch's representatives and Bissell did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.