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Source: Dailymail.co.uk
UK – Pictures have emerged of a ‘bondage kit’ collected by a security guard accused of plotting to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby – as a court heard how he planned to ‘keep’ the TV star in an abandoned stud farm with ‘cells’.
Gavin Plumb, 37, sent a video to a potential accomplice of the items laid out on a bed, which was played to jurors at Chelmsford Crown Court.
The text accompanying the WhatsApp video said ‘it’s play time’, and in the footage the defendant’s voice is heard listing the items – including ankle shackles, ball gag, rope, metal cable ties and handcuffs.
In a subsequent voice note in May last year, Plumb said: ‘They’re asking me if I’m gonna tie them up at all. Lol. No, no of course not, no, no, no, no I’m not gonna do that at all. Much.’
Plumb, sent texts to a man called Marc in which he described an abandoned stud farm in the country as a place to ‘keep’ the TV presenter after kidnapping her from her family home, jurors heard.
In a WhatsApp message, read to Chelmsford Crown Court by Alison Morgan KC, Plumb said: ‘We’ve got somewhere in the country to keep her Ryan [another man he had been speaking with] is interested again by the looks of it.’
Marc replied: ‘Cool where is the location.’
The defendant said it was ‘a stud farm that’s abandoned’, adding: ‘It’s got cells.’
He said in a further message: ‘It could finally be happening.’
Evidence shown to the court indicated Plumb was searching online for rape cases, with articles he read including one titled ‘man who raped five women he met online dating app jailed for life’.
On November 27, 2022, Plumb wrote: ‘I’ve passed my SIA licence so might try to use it to be her security.’
But the following month a frustrated Plumb allegedly told Marc: ‘There is some interest but no one 100% will to commit.’
He continued: ‘If was just us we’d be breaking into her house and keeping her there. If your cool with that we’ll do it.
‘We’ll choose all her outfits and will get control of Dan [Ms Willoughby’s husband] as well… it’s more risky but I’m good with it.’
He added: ‘I’ll get balaclavas and gloves as well.’
Referring to how they would allegedly subdue their target, Plumb wrote: ‘So we break in when they are in bed we hold both at a weapon point tell both to roll over on there fronts with there hands behind their backs. With Dan we use the metal cable ties with holly we’ll use the handcuffs etc.’
The men allegedly also talked about getting Ms Willoughby to drive to the abandoned building, with Plumb saying: ‘She’s driving to her own torture site lol.’
But Plumb added: ‘I’m looking at learning to drive in the new year so we’ll have someone that can drive for our special guest.’
Speaking about booking a tour of the ITV studios, Plumb wrote: ‘I’m not sure if I’m booking an ITV studio tour or just to the area.’
Marc replied: ‘Go to the area and follow her home.’
The defendant went on: ‘She will be driving I will be on foot though.’
He later added, in a message in 2022: ‘I’m calling the studio tours tomorrow to see if they are still available and if you meet presenters.’
Plumb also wrote to Marc: ‘Right er plan of action I’ll give you a brief rundown, basically we’re gonna hit, hit it at night er less traffic on the road etc.
‘Erm chloroform both of them that way then they can both be easily restrained. Pick out outfits of hers that we like and then obviously take her and the outfits with us and we’re gone.
‘We’re then gonna force her to make a video just saying that she come with us under her own free will erm that she’s with us under her own free will… and she’s fully consenting into everything we do to her so that covers us.’
He added: ‘I’m kind of looking forward to getting this s*** going. As I said to you before, even if the others pull out, I’m doing it regardless.’
In March last year, Plumb told Marc: ‘A couple of examples why I’m gonna get some chloroform it’s not illegal to buy or own in the UK.’
On March 19, Marc contacted Plumb and said he was ‘gonna pull out of this thing’.
Plumb allegedly responded: ‘Mate seriously get your s*** sorted. As I said to you before either way it’s going down whether it’s me and you or whether it’s me and someone else and you come and join in later.’
Plumb sent Marc a photo of Ms Willoughby and wrote: ‘She’s wearing things like this for a reason which is to tease us guys – she’s getting punishment for all the teasing.’
On May 6 the pair had a ‘sexualised discussion’ about two women who had contacted the defendant on the Kik app about running away, involving tying them up and sexually abusing them.
‘They’re asking me if I’m gonna tie them up at all. Lol. No, no, of course not… I’m not gonna do that at all, much.’
Plumb later complained they ‘didn’t f****** turn up’.
The man discussed testing chloroform on a woman Plumb knew, with the defendant saying: ‘I’m thinking use it on her, when she’s passed out obviously take her somewhere tie her up, blindfolded etc.
‘You can do a voice message just saying that she owes a lot of money, that her boyfriend owes a lot of money for drugs.’
On May 10 last year, Plumb allegedly sent a photo of a computer screen showing a purchase of chloroform being made.
He wrote to Marc: ‘Ordered two of them.’
Asked if he might get into trouble for ordering them, he added: ‘Nope as it’s not illegal to buy it.’
The following day Plumb allegedly sent a photo of a bottle labelled ‘chloroform’ and wrote: ‘Look what I came home to on my doorstep.’
The prosecution say he went online to search the term ‘how long does chloroform take to knock someone unconscious?’
Plumb is said to have shared details of an app that creates an AI ‘avatar.
He told Marc: ‘You can talk about literally all, all sorts of things, you can be as filthy as you want or you can be as clean as you want.
‘Erm and you can create your own avatars and they actually look like they’re moving, look like they’re talking to ya.
‘So the people I’m with er Holly and yeah, I’m kind of having my fun with that lot.’
On June 1, 2023, Plumb wrote: ‘I’ve had a member of the Holly group reach out to me. He knows the location of an abandoned building and he’s up for it big time.#..
‘We’re gonna go and do stakeout and bang job done, s**** going down as it stands.’
Messaging each other a few days after Phillip Schofield left This Morning in May last year, Plumb wrote: ‘I’m so tempted to message Phil and say to him “Look do you wanna get payback? But I don’t mind helping ya.’
The jury was told that Plumb first became involved in an online chat with the undercover police officer calling himself David Nelson on October 3 last year.
Nelson wrote: ‘Alright I’ll bite. Who’s the hottie with the lazy eye?’
Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC told the court: ‘She doesn’t necessarily look like that but that’s what the officer saw.’
Plumb explained it was Miss Willoughby and wrote: ‘She’s in the public eye but doesn’t have her own security.’
Nelson said: ‘Why did you post her up in the abduction group?’
Plumb replied: ‘Why do you think?’
Asked it he would be ‘up for it’, the officer told the defendant: ‘I’m in New York never heard of this gal… but I could travel if this was a serious thing.’
Photos of Miss Willoughby’s home were shared and the officer asked: ‘How the hell would you pull this off without the cops finding out?’
Plumb allegedly wrote: ‘Night home invasion by the time they are called I’ll be long gone.’
He went on to complain about other people getting ‘cold feet’, adding: ‘Got everything to hold her and chloroform.’
Asked if he was ‘looking for help with this’, Plumb wrote: ‘Definitely.’
He continued: ‘It’s a home invasion so we’ll use the chloroform on her and her husband tie both up take her leave him then it’s take to where she’s being kept and enjoy her.’
The officer asked when he wanted to carry out the plan and was told: ‘As soon as been planning for about 2 and a half years.’
Plumb was sent a photo of a fake ID card so he would recognise the man he thought was called David Nelson if he flew into London the following week.
The officer was sent a selfie of Plumb when he asked the defendant: ‘Can you send me something so I know your real?’
Plumb allegedly sent the undercover officer an image of a woman who lived nearby ‘to practice on’ before the raid on Miss Willoughby’s house.
Describing the plan for the raid, he wrote: ‘We’ll jump the outer wall break in chloroform both her and her husband tie both up with zip ties and gag both take her out of the house and take her out in her car dump it and get rid of her phone etc and anything she can be tracked with.’
The officer asked ‘how will this all end’ and was allegedly told: ‘When we get board of her then we get rid… wash her in bleach and put her in a lake at night… once she’s had her throat cut of course.’
Plumb is accused of attempting to live his ‘ultimate fantasy’ and was described by the prosecution as someone who had an ‘obsession’ with Ms Willoughby.
The defendant, of Harlow, Essex, denies soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap.
The trial continues.
