Gavin Plumb found guilty of Holly Willoughby kidnap, rape and murder plot

Gavin Plumb has been found guilty after being accused of plotting to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby.

The verdict was announced on Thursday July 4 in Chelmsford Crown Court after the jury finished deliberating.

As Plumb, 37, was found guilty of a plot to kidnap, rape and murder the former This Morning star, he’s said to have slowly shaken his head and looked down at the floor, before weeping.

He will be sentenced at the court on Friday July 12, in just over a week’s time.

Prosecutor Ros Earis said that the prosecution will be applying for a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order at Plumb’s sentencing.

Mr Justice Murray asked Plumb to stand before saying: ‘You have been found guilty on all three counts on the indictment.

‘You are remanded in custody to await the sentence hearing which is fixed for next Friday.’

Mr Murray sent Plumb to the cells, before saying to the jurors: ‘The criminal justice system depends crucially on members of the public stepping up and serving as jurors and your work is crucial.’

Following the guilty verdicts in court, Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor Nicola Rice said: ‘Gavin Plumb is a dangerous man who plotted unspeakable violence against one of the nation’s most familiar faces.

‘Despite his attempts to pass himself off as a harmless fantasist, the prosecution persuaded the jury that Plumb posed a very real threat.

‘The chilling details of his plans were laid bear with the help of an undercover officer from the US who alerted the FBI to the threat, and the seriousness of Plumb’s scheme was exposed when the prosecution successfully applied to tell the jury about Plumb’s previous convictions.

‘I hope his conviction brings some comfort to Holly Willoughby and her family, and shows others that the Crown Prosecution Service will always seek the strongest possible charges against those who plot violence against women.’

During the court case, footage had been shown of Plumb telling police officers that Willoughby was a ‘fantasy’ of his as they apprehended him at his home. 

After Willoughby was mentioned by name, he responded: ‘I’m not ​​going to lie, she is a fantasy of mine.’

While giving evidence in court, Plumb claimed that he felt a ‘rush of excitement’ about the idea of keeping Willoughby in a ‘dungeon’, but insisted that the thought was just ‘online chat’.

The security guard was questioned over a BDSM kit that he had purchased, with an image shown in court showing various items laid out, including handcuffs, a whip, blindfold and cable ties in plastic bags.

He was also asked about bottles of chloroform that he had bought, which he claimed were to clean a ‘large stain next to my fridge’.