A security guard accused of plotting to rape and murder Holly Willoughby claimed to have set up an AI chatbot to simulate the star, a court has heard.
Gavin Plumb, 37, is charged with planning to kidnap and attack the former This Morning host, 43, for nearly two years until his arrest last October.
Officers discovered millions of images of Holly and other female celebrities on his electronic devices, the court has heard. And he had discussed abducting two other high-profile women with an Irishman he met online known as Marc.
On Wednesday prosecutor Alison Morgan KC took the jury through evidence with Detective Constable William Belsham, of Essex Police, at Chelmsford crown court.
The court was today shown an image of the accused alleged 'kidnap kit'Plumb told Marc in June 2022 that he was "having my fun" with a chatbot he had set up to simulate Holly. He said in a WhatsApp voice message: "I've got a bot chatting chatting app you can talk about literally all sorts of things, you can be as filthy as you want, or you can be as clean as you want. And you can create your own avatars and they actually like look like they're moving, look like they're talking to ya. So the people I'm with er Holly and yeah, I'm kind of having my fun with that a lot."
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He then sent Marc a screenshot of the app and followed up the next day with another voice message saying: "Yeah it's a erm app that yeah you can basically either talk really filthy or talk normally and er the one that I'm doing, I've crea [created], as I said I've put her in it".
The court heard how Plumb had talked about getting chloroform, noting it is not illegal to buy or own in the UK. He claimed to have bought two bottles online for £9.20, the court heard. Later sending Marc images of what he claimed to be the chemcial he said: "Look what I've some home to on my doorstep, oh yeah."
In March 2023 he told Marc that there is a group of four in the kidnap gang including Marc, a man referred to as "R" and an individual called "Rob". He said they were communicating on the Kik messaging app. Mr Belsham said officers had not been able to access the group's messages.
Court artist drawing of Plumb (right) in court on Monday (PA)In March 2023 Marc told Plumb he had decided not to go ahead with the plan. He said: "I'm going to have to back out of this thing for the time being..I'm backing out but hopefully you'll get her sooner and send me the pictures." The pair remained in contact and two months later Plumb sent Marc a video of his "kit" including rope, cable ties and handcuffs saying "It's play time".
In October 2023 Plumb shared his alleged plans with undercover US officer David Nelson, of Owatonna Police in Minnesota. Plumb was "definitely serious" about his plans, he told Nelson, who alerted the Met. He had been jailed for threatening two 16-year-old girls with a knife at a Woolworths store where he worked in 2008, tying one up in a stockroom.
Jurors were told he was convicted of attempting to kidnap two women in separate incidents after threatening them on trains in 2006. Holly has waived her right to anonymity in relation to the incitement to rape charge.
Plumb denies soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap, and the trial continues.
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