Gavin Plumb found guilty of Holly Willoughby kidnap, rape and murder plot

Gavin Plumb has been found guilty after being accused of plotting to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby.

The verdict was announced on Thursday July 4 in Chelmsford Crown Court after the jury finished deliberating.

As Plumb, 37, was found guilty of a plot to kidnap, rape and murder the former This Morning star, he’s said to have slowly shaken his head and looked down at the floor, before weeping.

He will be sentenced at the court on Friday July 12, in just over a week’s time.

Prosecutor Ros Earis said that the prosecution will be applying for a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order at Plumb’s sentencing.

Mr Justice Murray asked Plumb to stand before saying: ‘You have been found guilty on all three counts on the indictment.

‘You are remanded in custody to await the sentence hearing which is fixed for next Friday.’

Mr Murray sent Plumb to the cells, before saying to the jurors: ‘The criminal justice system depends crucially on members of the public stepping up and serving as jurors and your work is crucial.’

Following the guilty verdicts in court, Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor Nicola Rice said: ‘Gavin Plumb is a dangerous man who plotted unspeakable violence against one of the nation’s most familiar faces.

‘Despite his attempts to pass himself off as a harmless fantasist, the prosecution persuaded the jury that Plumb posed a very real threat.

‘The chilling details of his plans were laid bear with the help of an undercover officer from the US who alerted the FBI to the threat, and the seriousness of Plumb’s scheme was exposed when the prosecution successfully applied to tell the jury about Plumb’s previous convictions.

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‘I hope his conviction brings some comfort to Holly Willoughby and her family, and shows others that the Crown Prosecution Service will always seek the strongest possible charges against those who plot violence against women.’

During the court case, footage had been shown of Plumb telling police officers that Willoughby was a ‘fantasy’ of his as they apprehended him at his home. 

After Willoughby was mentioned by name, he responded: ‘I’m not ​​going to lie, she is a fantasy of mine.’

While giving evidence in court, Plumb claimed that he felt a ‘rush of excitement’ about the idea of keeping Willoughby in a ‘dungeon’, but insisted that the thought was just ‘online chat’.

The security guard was questioned over a BDSM kit that he had purchased, with an image shown in court showing various items laid out, including handcuffs, a whip, blindfold and cable ties in plastic bags.

He was also asked about bottles of chloroform that he had bought, which he claimed were to clean a ‘large stain next to my fridge’.

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On the day that Plumb received his guilty verdict, Detective Chief Inspector Greg Wood, the senior investigating officer at Essex Police, described him as a ‘dangerous, predatory individual who was intent on causing the most serious harm to his victim’.

The inspector continued: ‘He was not just simply obsessed with Holly Willoughby, he meticulously and carefully planned, over a number of years, to carry out a depraved and violent attack, in which he plotted to deprive her of her liberty and ultimately her life.

‘His claims in court that he was a “fantasist” are simply not true and were evidenced by the extent with which he plotted with others to carry out his wicked plan.’

Detective Chief Inspector Woof added that Plumb ‘had a history of attacking other women, attempting to kidnap them using weapons and threats of violence’.

‘He is a dangerous man and I have no doubt he was determined to carry out the acts he planned,’ he said.

Referencing the undercover police officer who passed information about Plumb onto the FBI after having direct contact, he continued: ‘Today, we are extremely grateful to our law enforcement colleague in America who not only brought Gavin Plumb to our attention, but helped gather the vital evidence that secured his conviction.

‘We would also like to thank the victim who has courageously supported this case throughout and bravely waived her anonymity.’

He continued: ‘Today, Gavin Plumb remains where he belongs – behind bars. At Essex Police we will continue to do all we can to seek out those intent on causing violence and harm to women and girls and, like this defendant, put them behind bars.

‘There is simply no place for dangerous individuals like him on either the streets of Essex, or wider society, and we will do all we can to continue to make our communities safe for all.’

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