Dynasty’s Stephanie held captive in own home for 20 mins by hammer raider

STEPHANIE Beacham was threatened by a hammer-wielding raider in a terrifying burglary.

The Dynasty actress was left shaken after David Wilson battered his way into her £750,000 home, days after he was freed from prison.

New details about the daylight raid can be revealed after the 56year- old thief admitted aggravated burglary this week.

Wilson claimed the raid was ‘unplanned’, suggesting he did not know whose home he was breaking into until he encountered the shocked actress.

The 75-year-old star is said to have disturbed him as he was ransacking her property in Bayswater, west London, at around 2pm on September 25, 2022. Wilson threatened her, demanding money and jewellery as he menaced her with the hammer.

He ordered her in to another room and shut the door while he carried on rifling through her belongings. For 20 minutes, she waited helplessly as Wilson grabbed jewellery, her purse, mobile phone, cheque book and her keys before leaving the property. Although she was unharmed, when police arrived, they described the British actress – who found fame as Sable Colby in the 1980s US soap opera – as profoundly shaken.

on Wednesday, Wilson admitted aggravated burglary at Southwark Crown Court, but Claire Mawer, defending, said: ‘The aggravated burglary in relation to Beacham was unplanned.’ She added: ‘He has experienced long-term difficulties with drug addiction.’

He also admitted carrying out a burglary on a pensioner in Sheffield, stealing a snooker championship medal, a stepladder and a mattress in May last year.

The guilty pleas mean Ms Beacham will be spared having to give evidence at a trial which had been due to take place later this month. The actress has not spoken openly about her ordeal but in a previous hearing prosecutor Gregor McKinley described the ‘vulnerability of the victim’.

The defendant, who appeared via videolink from Wandsworth prison, spoke only to confirm his name and enter pleas on Wednesday. It can now be revealed that Wilson is a prolific burglar with a long criminal history who had only just been released early from prison when he targeted Ms Beacham.

In February 2021 he was jailed for three years for committing two residential burglaries in York over nine days, stealing a large amount of jewellery, handbags and electrical items. At the time he was charged with those offences, Wilson was already serving a prison sentence for previous burglaries.

By January 2007 – when he was jailed for two years for yet more burglaries in York – Wilson had already spent 13 years in jail for successive offences.

A spokesman for Ms Beacham declined to comment yesterday. In the 1980s she achieved global stardom with her role in Dynasty, featuring in 23 episodes of the US drama opposite Joan Collins and John Forsythe.

She also appeared in 49 episodes of Dynasty spin-off show, The Colbys and subsequently starred in BBC drama Tenko and Bad Girls and Casualty.

Most recently she has returned as Ken Barlow’s love interest in Coronation Street, following a successful stint on the ITV soap in 2009. Last month Ms Beacham said working had kept her young: ‘I don’t think actors retire.’

‘Rifling through her belongings’