A security guard has been found guilty of plotting to kidnap, rape, and murder television presenter Holly Willoughby. Gavin Plumb, 37, was convicted at Chelmsford Crown Court after prosecutors revealed his obsession with the former This Morning host, who left the ITV show last October following his arrest.
Plumb’s dark history includes two previous convictions for attempted kidnap, in which he tried to abduct two women from a train, and two convictions for false imprisonment, after holding two 16-year-old girls at knifepoint.
The court heard that Plumb, a father-of-two, had engaged in graphic and highly sexualized conversations online about attacking Willoughby and other celebrities since December 2021. Hundreds of messages shown to the jury included deepfake porn images, pictures of Willoughby’s home, and discussions about taking time off work to execute his plan.
In one message, Plumb shared a selfie titled “My ugly mug” with an undercover officer. He detailed his intentions to target Willoughby in a “home invasion,” using chloroform to subdue her and her husband, TV producer Dan Baldwin, before tying them up, kidnapping her, and repeatedly raping her. He also shared a video of his “kidnap kit” with the officer, who had gained his trust by sharing fake flight details and identification.
The undercover US police officer, who met Plumb in a Kik messenger group called “Abduct Lovers,” testified last week that he believed Plumb posed an “imminent threat” to the presenter. Plumb had stated he would slit Willoughby’s throat before disposing of her body in a lake.
After the officer alerted the FBI and UK police, Plumb’s flat in Harlow, Essex, was raided. Items seized included handcuffs, rope, shackles, a ball gag, and cable ties, along with two bottles labelled as chloroform, which were later found not to contain the liquid.
Plumb was convicted of three charges: soliciting murder, encouraging kidnap, and rape. In footage of his arrest, Plumb, when informed of the charges, admitted, “I’m not gonna lie. She is a fantasy of mine.”
Willoughby, who hosted Dancing On Ice earlier this year, did not give evidence or attend the trial but waived her right to automatic anonymity as an alleged victim of a planned sexual offence. The court heard that Plumb had more than a million pictures of her and other stars on his mobile phone and other devices, as well as a handwritten list of celebrities in his bedside drawer.
During the trial, Plumb expressed remorse for his messages, stating, “I’m heartbroken, disgusted, and shocked that it has come out,” and claimed it was nothing more than online fantasy. However, Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC argued that Plumb’s plans were not just “the ramblings of a fantasist” but carefully orchestrated with items bought to carry out the attack. She highlighted his history of controlling and terrifying women, emphasizing that he is a man who has “done this for real.
The verdict underscores the seriousness of Plumb’s actions and the importance of vigilance in online interactions, particularly regarding threats to public figures.
