The former security officer, Gavin Plumb, was handed a life sentence with a minimum incarceration period of 16 years by Chelmsford Crown Court for creating horrendous plans to abduct, sexually assault and kill television icon, Holly Willoughby. His plot substantially and negatively affected the prior This Morning show host’s life. As a result of a court trial in Chelmsford, Plumb was found guilty unanimously of encouraging murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault.
Justice Edward Murray, during Plumb’s sentencing on Friday, stated that had Plumb managed to find collaborators serious enough to help him execute his plan, there’s no doubt he would have acted upon it. Justice Murray mandated a life sentence but with a minimum term of 16 years. However, considering the 280 days he’d served on remand, he would effectively serve a minimum of 15 years and 85 days.
Moving on with justifications for his judgement, Justice Murray noted: “For many years, you’ve nurtured a perverse sexual fixation on Holly Willoughby that eventually propelled you to orchestrate a strategy to abduct, rape and kill her.” Also part of your plans was to inflict harm on her spouse and offspring.
“You have a track record of horrifying offences featuring threats of sexual violence against four distinct women – you pose a danger,” Justice Murray continued. He added, “During the trial, numerous lies you told were seen through by the jury, and you were found guilty of the charges.”
Upon hearing his sentence, Plumb, initially emotionless, reacted with an exasperated gesture and a remark to the dock officer as he was escorted out. Plumb’s arrest materialised after an American covert police officer, who infiltrated an online group called ‘Abduct Lovers’, escalated evidence suggestive of Plumb’s alarming posts to the FBI. This led to the exposure of the plot designed against Holly Willoughby.
Gavin Plumb, a security officer, meticulously strategised an online operation to abduct, sexually assault, and murder UK television figure Holly Willoughby. He was concluded as guilty of all offences yesterday. His reprehensible intentions and prolonged infatuation were exposed when he attempted to engage a ‘team’ for his assistance, with one member being an American officer who stumbled upon Plumb’s online postings in an obscure chatroom. Despite not being familiar with Willoughby, the policeman perceived Plumb as a significant threat and chose to use an alias to lure him. Fortuitously, his strategic trick was successful, which resulted in the FBI reaching out to UK authorities.
Plumb, 37, was taken into custody in October of the previous year, and his trial took place at Chelmsford Crown Court over the past fortnight. He refuted charges including murder solicitation, initiating rape, and kidnapping plans, maintaining his claims that they were mere fantasies. However, the jury did not support his viewpoint. Ellis Whitehouse, a journalist at Essex Live, sat in the trial and provided In the News with insights into the disturbing case. The presentation was conducted by Bernice Harrison, while Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon contributed to the production.
US law personnel informed UK authorities following which Plumb’s Harlow apartment was searched by Essex police, leading to the discovery of chloroform bottles and a detailed ‘kidnapping toolkit’.
During Plumb’s sentencing proceeding, prosecutor Alison Morgan alluded to Ms Willoughby’s choice that her victim impact statement remains private but noted it outlined the ‘devastating consequences of the crimes’. Morgan stated, from a prosecutory perspective, that it was extremely clear that the implications of this crime have resulted in life-altering effects for the victim – both personally and professionally.
Willoughby, known for Dancing On Ice, relinquished her anonymity concerning Plumb’s charges of advocating or facilitating rape. Plumb’s scheme was unsuccessful when it was discovered that one of his supposed collaborators, with whom he conversed online, was indeed an undercover officer of the Owatonna Police Department in Minnesota, USA.
Plumb, employing the disguise of ‘David Nelson’, brought attention to his grave intentions of abducting Ms Willoughby, causing a sensation of imminent fear to the officer. Law enforcement arrested Plumb on the 4th of October in the previous year.
The scheme thought up by Plumb to capture Ms Willoughby entailed a surprise attack at her domicile, even chatting about taking a holiday from his job for coordination purposes. He expressed plans to subsequently relocate the presenter to an alternative place which he termed as a ‘”dungeon”-esque room.
Prosecution outlined Plumb’s abduction scheme as methodically orchestrated, placing emphasis on the goods he had bought and the extensive efforts he made to discern when Ms Willoughby was without protection.
In his defence, Plumb contended that it was merely cyber conversation and daydreaming. -PA