An armed career criminal has been handed a further prison sentence for attempting to break into the London home of Hollywood star Anya Taylor-Joy, where her rockstar husband Malcolm McRae bravely confronted the masked intruders. Kirk Holdrick, 43, was one of two men who smashed their way into the luxury property in February 2023, in a raid that prosecutors suggested may have been specifically targeted at the celebrity occupants.
Confrontation in the Bedroom
Mr McRae barricaded himself and his wife inside their bedroom, armed only with a lamp, as Holdrick and his accomplice tried to prise open the door with a crowbar. The musician managed to scare off the burglars by shouting, "I have a gun, I have a gun", Wood Green Crown Court heard. Holdrick and his partner in crime then fled the home empty-handed, leaving the traumatised couple barricaded inside the damaged room.
A Pattern of Violent Offending
Holdrick, who was already serving a life sentence for previous armed robberies, has now been handed a further three-year prison sentence for this burglary. This follows a 12-year sentence he received last November for a separate, more violent home invasion. Prosecutors highlighted the fame of Ms Taylor-Joy and her husband, arguing that the raid may have been "targeted" given Holdrick's direct approach to the bedroom rather than simply stealing valuables from other parts of the house.
The Night of the Break-In
The Golden Globe-winning actress, known for her roles in The Queen's Gambit and The Witch, was staying at the London property on 12 February 2023 with Mr McRae and his musical partner, Kane Ritchotte, when the break-in occurred at about 1am. They heard glass being smashed in a side door, prompting Mr McRae to investigate. Upon seeing Holdrick and another man, both wearing balaclavas and gloves, forcing their way in, the singer and guitarist shouted "hey, stop" before retreating to the bedroom.
Escalating Criminal Behaviour
Just nine days after the thwarted raid on Ms Taylor-Joy, Holdrick struck again in a second home invasion. Alongside accomplice Ashley Fulton, he disguised himself as a police officer for a raid in Sandbanks, overlooking Poole harbour. During this incident, a woman and her daughter were held at gunpoint, tied up, and threatened with extreme violence, including being burned with an iron and shot dead, if they did not open the family safe.
Forensic Evidence and Arrest
CCTV footage showed Holdrick and his accomplice scaling a wall to the home, triggering an external security light, which appeared to startle them as they attempted to break in. Holdrick, who also used the alias Aaron Evans, left his DNA on the back door, and shoe prints from his trainers were found outside the bedroom door. He was arrested on 18 April 2023 after disembarking a ferry from Belfast to Liverpool.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Initially denying responsibility, claiming his DNA was present from a previous party visit, he later abandoned his defence and pleaded guilty to burglary in mid-December last year. The Crown Prosecution Service insisted on pursuing the case, despite Holdrick already serving a life sentence, arguing that the London burglary indicated an escalating pattern of offending.
Violent Follow-Up Crime
In the subsequent Sandbanks raid, Holdrick and Fulton barged in on businessman Mark Aitchison's wife, Kerry, restraining her with cable ties and threatening to kill her if she did not open the family safe. When the couple's daughter, Emily, arrived home unexpectedly, she was also seized, dragged by her hair, and threatened with the gun. The intruders threatened to shoot her in front of her mother and asked where they kept an iron, telling her: "We want to burn you."
Career Criminal History
Holdrick, originally from Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, has a history of convictions dating back to his teenage years, including burglaries. He pleaded guilty in Bournemouth to two counts of robbery, possession of an imitation firearm, and fraud, receiving a 12-year prison sentence for these offences, to be served alongside his existing life sentence, with an additional four years on licence if he is ever released.
The couple later told police they had been traumatised by the ordeal and feared being targeted again, highlighting the lasting impact of such violent home invasions even when no physical harm occurs.
