Star's Terror: Robber Jailed for Mansion Break-In

Kirk Holdrick, 43, has been sentenced for his role in a February 2023 burglary at a London mansion where Anya Taylor-Joy and her husband, Malcolm McRae, were staying. Two masked intruders forced their way into the luxury property. McRae confronted the burglars and, by shouting "I have a gun," successfully deterred them from further entry into the bedroom where he and Taylor-Joy had barricaded themselves.

Prosecutors suggested the incident may have been targeted at the celebrity occupants due to the burglars' focus on the bedroom. Holdrick, already serving a life sentence for previous armed robberies, was later jailed for 12 years for a separate, violent home invasion in Sandbanks. He has now received an additional three-year sentence for the burglary involving Taylor-Joy.

The break-in occurred around 1 am on February 12, 2023. Holdrick and an accomplice smashed a side door and attempted to pry open the bedroom door with a crowbar. After McRae's ruse, the intruders fled empty-handed. DNA evidence and shoe prints linked Holdrick to the scene. He was arrested nine days after the incident but initially denied involvement before pleading guilty.

Nine days after the London incident, Holdrick and an accomplice, disguised as police officers, committed another home invasion in Sandbanks. They held a woman and her daughter at gunpoint, tying them up and threatening violence, including burning the daughter with an iron if a safe was not opened. They stole approximately £200,000 worth of valuables. Holdrick has a history of criminal offenses dating back to his teenage years.