The security guard accused in court of a sinister plot to rape and murder TV star Holly Willoughby boasted he could access shotguns and rifles, a court heard on Wednesday.
Gavin Plumb, aged 37, is on trial for allegedly scheming to abduct and assault the popular presenter, 43, over a period of nearly two years until he was apprehended last October.
Chelmsford Crown Court was told that an extensive collection of images featuring Holly and other female celebrities were found on Plumb's electronic devices. He had sent pictures of what appeared to be imitation firearms to an online contact named Marc, claiming he could access "shotguns and assault rifles" and that they resembled the "real thing".
The prosecution told the court that police uncovered 86 AI-generated videos on Plumb's phone, where still photos of Holly had been animated to move and speak. Plumb is said to have described to Marc a disturbing scenario involving a "home invasion", after which Holly would be forced into a van and taken to "her new home and her new way of living". In response, Marc advised: "Go to the area and follow her home."
Gavin Plumb filmed himself and his 'kidnap kit', the court heard (Crown Prosecution Service)
The accused bragged to an online contact that he could access gunsDuring the trial on Wednesday, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC presented evidence alongside Detective Constable William Belsham from Essex Police. The jury heard discussions about acquiring chloroform, which Plumb noted is not illegal to purchase or possess in the UK, alleging he had bought two bottles online for £9.20.
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Later, after 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 informed the court that Plumb had a staggering 10,322 photos in an album titled "Holly". An album named "screenshots" contained images mapping the route from his house to Holly's address.
A separate file held 35 photographs which were a disturbing mix of snaps of Holly Willoughby and explicit pictures of women, some depicting women bound and gagged, Ms Earis detailed. The investigation revealed Plumb's obsession, with him having searched for "Holly" 19,137 times online, and making 211 searches on deepfake adult sites.
Detectives also uncovered a Microsoft Word document named "Wishes", where Plumb listed his desires, with Holly being the "first name" among the women he wished to dominate, the courtroom was told. Another file from 2014 included just one sentence: "In July 2014 Holly and Gavin Plumb (born 25 February 1987) ended their year-long affair".
In October 2023, Plumb divulged his sinister intentions to undercover US officer David Nelson from Owatonna Police in Minnesota. Plumb was "definitely serious" about his plans, he confided to Nelson, who then tipped off the Met. Plumb was apprehended approximately an hour later. His past included a prison sentence for menacing two 16-year-old girls with a blade at a Woolworths store where he was employed in 2008, even restraining one in a stockroom.
The jury was informed that he had previously been convicted of attempting to kidnap two women in separate incidents on trains back in 2006. Mr Justice Murray informed them that they would be hearing evidence from the undercover officer in America via video link on Thursday. Holly has chosen to waive her right to anonymity regarding the incitement to rape charge.
Plumb denies charges of soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap, with the trial still ongoing.
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