A security guard accused of plotting to rape and murder Holly Willoughby shared images to a contact of imitation firearms saying he could get "shotguns and assault rifles", 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 Chelmsford Crown Court has heard. He shared images of an air pistol and air rifle with an Irishman called Marc who he had met online, saying they looked like the "real thing", jurors were told.
Police later found 86 videos of Holly on his mobile phone that were generated by AI in which a still image had been manipulated to move in time with added speech, the court heard.
The CPS released images of items obtained by Gavin Plumb (PA)
The jury were shown the image in court today (PA)Plumb allegedly told Marc that she would be put in a van after a "home invasion" before being taken to "her new home and her new way of living". Marc replied: "Go to the area and follow her home."
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On Wednesday prosecutor Alison Morgan KC took the jury through evidence with Detective Constable William Belsham, of Essex Police. 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 chemical he said: "Look what I've some home to on my doorstep..oh yeah." Junior prosecution counsel Rosalind Earis told the court that Plumb had 10,322 photos in an album named "Holly". An album named "screenshots" included images of a map of the route from his home to Holly's address.
A further file contained 35 photographs which were a "mixture of pictures of Holly Willoughby and pornographic pictures of women, including women tied up and gagged", Ms Earis said. Detectives found Plumb had searched “Holly” 19,137 times on the internet, while 211 searches were made for "Holly" on deepfake pornographic websites, it was said.
Plumb filmed himself with the kit (Crown Prosecution Service)
The accused boasted online about having access to guns (PA)They also discovered a Microsoft Word document entitled “Wishes” in which Plumb set out his ambitions. In it, Holly was the "first name" on a list of women he wanted to have control over, the court heard. Another document dated 2014 contained the single line: “In July 2014 Holly and Gavin Plumb (born 25 February 1987) ended their year long affair”.
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 was arrested around an hour later, the court heard. 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. Mr Justice Murray told them that they would be hearing evidence from the American undercover officer via video link on Thursday. 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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