Man accused of Holly Willoughby plot is searched in court: ‘How does it feel to be raped?’

Millions of images of women were found on the devices of a man accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering television presenter Holly Willoughby, a court heard.

When officers examined the phone and devices of 37-year-old Gavin Plumb from Harlow, Essex, they found “huge” images of women, including 10,322 of the former This Morning presenter.

The material was so extensive that officers were only able to analyse about 10 per cent of it, which is “more than tens of thousands of images”, Det Con William Belsham of Essex Police told the jury.

Chelmsford Crown Court was also told that Plumb, a shopping centre security guard, had searched the internet in 2021 for queries such as “How do I meet people who want to kidnap celebrities?” and “What does it feel like to be raped?”

Plumb sat hunched over in the dock, staring at the floor, as the court heard him say he would track Holly Willoughby’s movements and break into her home.

In “sexualised” messages on WhatsApp, Wickr and Kik between Plumb and a man named Marc, the defendant said: “That’s all I need to do. I have a rough idea of ​​her address so all I need to do is find her and track her movements to find an easy place to strike. But breaking into the house would be a better idea.”

Another message from Plumb, read to the jury, said: “There are some blind spots that take you over the wall.”

Messages exchanged

The couple exchanged 57 pictures of Ms Willoughby in 46 WhatsApp messages between January 12 and 19, 2022, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC told the court.

Nine of the images were “deepfake pornography,” she said.

“The other images include two other female celebrities and four images of tied up unknown women,” Ms Morgan said.

“One image includes the words ‘hurting women is fun.’ Plumb and Marc continue to have sexualized discussions about Ms. Willoughby.

“Plumb states that he took 10 days’ leave in February ‘to have more time to monitor (Holly Willoughby).'”

In further messages from 2022 read to the court, Plumb said he would give Ms Willoughby a “birthday present she will never forget” and explained how he had found the “possibility of some deserted places in the UK outside of London”.

When asked by Marc, who is believed to be from Dublin, how long he had wanted to rape the TV presenter in December 2021, the defendant replied: “About three years, but people say they wanted to and then back out.”

In another message from Plumb, read to the court by the prosecutor, he said: “Just the thought of finally getting her (Ms Willoughby) turns me on. I’m actually looking forward to it.”

“I’ve reached a point where I don’t care about the risks and consequences.”

Plumb is accused of trying to live out his “ultimate fantasy” and was described by prosecutors as someone who was “obsessed” with Ms Willoughby.

Ms Morgan said Plumb and Marc had also discussed Ms Dando in WhatsApp messages. Journalist Ms Dando was shot dead on her doorstep in Fulham, south-west London, in 1999.

Plumb denies solicitation of murder, solicitation of rape and solicitation of kidnapping, and the trial continues.