A businessman watched in terror as a burglar tried to smash through the back door of his £7 million home with a hammer while he cooked dinner for his family.
James Goldsmith, 42, sneaked into the garden of Ali Ahmed’s detached home in St John’s Wood and swiped two laptops from the shed before jumping into a BMW parked on the driveway.
When he could not start the car, the career criminal headed to the back door to try to break in using a hammer stolen from the shed.
Mr Ahmed, 57, who works in finance, was making dinner in the kitchen when he saw Goldsmith trying to smash his way into the home near the famous Abbey Road zebra crossing.
He told the Standard: “It was scary, he was trying to smash my door in. I was cooking dinner and heard this banging and saw this madman with a hammer.
"I don’t know what the hell was going through his mind. He was just trying to get some money for his next fix.”
Goldsmith, a drug addict of no fixed address, admitted at Southwark crown court burglary, attempted burglary, and attempted theft of a motor vehicle at Mr Ahmed’s house on May 19.
