Suspect in British TV presenter kidnap plot knew plan was real, court hears

The man accused of planning to kidnap, rape and murder a British TV personality went to “great lengths to suggest to other people it was not a fantasy”, a court has been told.

Security guard Gavin Plumb, 37, is standing trial over the plot to abduct Holly Willoughby. He is alleged to have planned the celebrity’s murder, between 2021 and 2023.

In the prosecution’s closing argument’s, barrister Alison Morgan said Plumb also swore and said “it’s really happening” when an undercover police officer sent him an image of a flight booking, reports the BBC.

Plumb denies soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap.

“These, members of the jury, were the defendant’s words when he realised that another person, who he believed to be called David Nelson, was genuinely prepared to join him in his plan to attack Holly Willoughby,” Morgan told Chelmsford Crown Court.

“When he believed that ‘David Nelson’ had just booked a flight to travel from the US … to join in that attack – (he said) ‘it’s really happening’, Morgan said:

“He didn’t say ‘don’t do that, I was just kidding’.

“He didn’t say ‘this is just fantasy, you haven’t bought a flight have you?’

“He didn’t say ‘I don’t really trust you because the name on your flight booking doesn’t match with your username’.”

Morgan said after extensive planning Plumb believed he had finally found someone who would not back out.

She reminded the court that Plumb had purchased chloroform, which she described as “synonymous with rendering people unconscious”. 

Morgan said Plumb had looked up “how long does chloroform knock you out for?”.

The defendant had previously claimed in evidence that he had bought the substance to clean a stain on his floor.