A 37-year-old man plotted to abduct, rape and murder one of Britain’s most popular TV personalities, Holly Willoughby, a court has been told.
Gavin Plumb, a shopping centre security officer, is on trial at Chelmsford Crown Court in England.
He is charged with soliciting a man named David Nelson to commit murder, and incitement to commit a kidnapping between October 2 and 5 in Harlow, Essex.
Mr Plumb denies soliciting murder, inciting kidnap and inciting rape.
The court heard Mr Plumb had developed an “obsession” with the former This Morning presenter and he planned to fulfil his “ultimate fantasy”, the BBC reports.
Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said: “It was not just the ramblings of a fantasist.
“The defendant had carefully planned what he would do and how he would do it, purchasing items that would assist him in carrying out the attack.”
Mr Plumb allegedly bought 400 “heavy duty” metal cable ties.
In October 2023, Mr Plumb engaged in an online chat with a man he believed to be David Nelson.
The jury heard that during these discussions, Mr Plumb “explained his plans to kidnap, rape and murder the celebrity Holly Willoughby”.
Ms Morgan told the court Mr Plumb shared a video when asked if he was serious about his plans, as well as sharing details of Willoughby’s home address.
The video showed “ankle shackles, a ball gag, three lots of rope, metal cable tie and two sets of handcuffs”.
Ms Morgan said Mr Plumb’s plans were “graphic and were obviously sexually motivated”.
Mr Plumb was arrested in October 2023.
“What the defendant did not know then, was that the person that he was communicating with online was an undercover police officer based in the USA and not, in fact, a like-minded abductor,” Ms Morgan told the court.
“The defendant’s planning of the offences was then interrupted and he was arrested by the police.”
The jury also heard that in other exchanged messages, Mr Plumb planned to use chloroform on Willoughby and her husband before tying them up.
He allegedly said he would slit Willoughby’s throat after ‘enjoying’ her.
If Mr Plumb’s plans were not disrupted, they “would have involved catastrophic violence against her”, Ms Morgan said.
Mr Plumb reportedly told police officers who arrested him: “I’m not going to lie, [Holly Willoughby] is a fantasy of mine.”
“Deep fake” pornographic images of Willoughby were found among 10,322 images of her on Mr Plumb’s phone in a folder titled Holly, the court heard.
Willoughby will not be called as a witness and has waived her right to anonymity.
The trial is expected to last for two weeks and will continue on Tuesday.