Holly Willoughby kidnap trial – live: Gavin Plumb spoke of ‘ultimate fantasy’ to abduct TV host, court told

A man accused of a plot to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby said “restraining and getting” the TV presenter was his “ultimate fantasy for way too long”, his trial has heard.

Gavin Plumb, 37, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday after being charged in October with soliciting a man to commit murder, incitement to kidnap and incitement to rape.

Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC told jurors the shopping centre security officer’s past convictions – including tying a 16-year-old girl’s hands behind her back with rope and tape, and the attempted kidnap of women on a train with the threat of a gun – showed he knew “what it would take to terrify and overpower a woman”.

The 37-year-old is accused of conspiring online with another man – encouraging him to travel to the UK from the US to carry out the alleged offences – and creating a “detailed plan”, including to assemble a “kidnap and restraint kit”.

Plumb, of Harlow, Essex, denies all charges.

Ms Willoughby has waived her right to anonymity in connection with an accusation against Plumb of assisting or encouraging rape.

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We will resume live updates when court sits again at 10.30am tomorrow

We are pausing our blog and will be resuming live updates when court sits again at 10.30am tomorrow.

Please follow The Independent’s homepage for all the latest in the meantime.

Tara Cobham24 June 2024 17:02

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Full story: Holly Willoughby ‘obsessed’ man made kidnap kit with knife, handcuffs and chloroform, court told

An “obsessed” security guard who purchased a ‘kidnap kit’ and chloroform to abduct, rape and murder Holly Willoughby knew how to “terrify and overpower a woman”, a court heard.

Gavin Plumb, 37, had previously attacked women using both a knife and an imitation firearm before he formulated a detailed plan to kidnap and kill the television personality in a home invasion.

A trial heard it was his “ultimate fantasy” to target Ms Willoughby, 43, and he had purchased metal cable ties, a knife and chloroform – a liquid drug used to stupefy victims – in preparation for an alleged attack.

Crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin has the full story from Chelmsford Crown Court:

Holly Willoughby ‘obsessed’ man made kidnap kit with knife and handcuffs, court told

Gavin Plumb had ‘real life experience of violence towards women’ and said he would slit the star’s throat, trial hears

Tara Cobham24 June 2024 16:50

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Court adjourns for day

Court has adjourned for the day at Chelmsford Crown Court.

The trial of Gavin Plumb will continue at 10.30am tomorrow.

Tara Cobham24 June 2024 16:33

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Kidnap plans – which involved ‘catastrophic violence’ - were interrupted by arrest, court told

Ms Morgan KC told Chelmsford Crown Court: “The defendant’s planning of these offences was interrupted by his arrest. He never got to the point of encountering Holly Willoughby.

“She did not meet him and the offences that the Prosecution alleges against this defendant, which if carried out would have involved catastrophic violence against her, were disrupted.”

Amy-Clare Martin at Chelmsford Crown Court24 June 2024 15:44

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When arrested, jurors told Plumb said: ‘I’m not gonna lie. She’s a fantasy of mine.’

The defendant was arrested on 4 October last year after the undercover US officer alerted the FBI and the Metropolitan Police.

He was shocked when police arrived at his home in Harlow, Essex, the court heard.

When the charges were explained to him, he responded: “I’m not gonna lie. She is a fantasy of mine.”

Amy-Clare Martin at Chelmsford Crown Court24 June 2024 15:42

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Plumb had 10,322 images of Holly Willoughby on his phone, court hears

Police who analysed Gavin Plumb’s mobile phone found that he had 10,322 images of Holly Willoughby in a folder called “Holly”, a court heard.

Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC told Chelmsford Crown Court: “There was a folder in fact on the defendant’s telephone which was called ‘Holly’ and it contained 10,322 images of Holly Willoughby.”

Tara Cobham24 June 2024 15:30

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Defendant shared video of ‘kit’ including shackles, ball gag and cable ties, court told

Plumb shared a video with an undercover police officer of his “kit” laid out on a bed.

Alison Morgan KC told the court the footage showed equipment including hand and ankle shackles, a ball gag, rope, metal cable ties and handcuffs.

These items would later be found at the defendant’s home address, the jury was told.

Amy-Clare Martin at Chelmsford Crown Court24 June 2024 15:22

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Plumb bragged about his previous crimes against women, court told

Chelmsford Crown Court heard that the security guard bragged about his previous convictions against women to an undercover officer online.

Plumb told the officer he had held two women against their will at a warehouse in a bid to bolster his credibility.

“I got 16 months. Our justice system is s*** tbh,” he told the officer.

Amy-Clare Martin at Chelmsford Crown Court24 June 2024 15:17

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Security guard planned to take Holly Willoughby to ‘dungeon’, court told

A shopping centre security officer planned to kidnap TV presenter Holly Willoughby and take her to a “dungeon” where her “screams can’t be heard for miles”, a court heard.

Gavin Plumb is accused of hatching a plot to kidnap, rape and solicit the murder of the star, and allegedly considered trying to get employment as her security guard to get close to her.

A court heard that the 37-year-old described it as his “ultimately fantasy” to kidnap Ms Willoughby, adding: “Fantasy isn’t enough anymore. I want the real thing.”

Josh Payne reports:

Security guard planned to take Holly Willoughby to ‘dungeon’, court told

Gavin Plumb is accused of soliciting murder and encouraging rape and kidnap.

Tara Cobham24 June 2024 15:16

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Plumb told undercover officer he’d abduct Ms Willoughby, ‘enjoy her’ then slit throat, court told

Jurors heard details of Plumb’s messages with an undercover US officer, who had been monitoring conversations in an online forum.

He told the officer, who specialised in investigating murder for hire, kidnap and human trafficking, that he would use the chloroform on Ms Willoughby and her husband in a home invasion, the court heard.

“Tie both up. Take her. Leave him then it’s take to where she’s being kept and enjoy her,” Ms Morgan recounted to the court.

Afterwards, he said he would “slit her throat” and dispose of her body, the court heard.

Amy-Clare Martin at Chelmsford Crown Court24 June 2024 15:07

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