Man arrested over plot to rape, murder British TV personality Holly Willoughby
File photos of Gavin Plumb (left) and Holly Willoughby (right).
A 37-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison on Friday (July 12) for plotting to kidnap, rape, and murder British TV personalityHolly Willoughby.
During the sentencing hearing at theChelmsford Crown Court,Judge Edward Murray told Gavin Plumb, 37, that he would have to serve a minimum term of 16 years before he could be eligible for parole.
Plumb, a former security guard,was found guilty by a jury last week following an eight-day trial.“Over a number of years, you pursued an unhealthy sexual obsession with Holly Willoughby that led you ultimately to plan over that period to kidnap, to rape, and to murder her,” Judge Murray told Plumb.
Murray also pointed out that the 37-year-old hadintended to harmWilloughby's husband and her children.
The kidnapping plan
A report by the news agency Associated Press on Friday said thatPlumb’s kidnap plans, as fleshed out in vivid detail in an online chat group, involved attempting to “ambush” Willoughby at her family home.
)
‘Pakistan eroded India's faith bit by bit’: Indian envoy defends putting Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance
)
Who is Ruchika Singh, booked for using foul language against PM Modi at Jantar Mantar protests?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (August 3-9, 2026): Main Vaapas Aaunga, Uyir, Operation Safed Sagar- 6 titles coming on Netflix, Prime Video and more
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why Russian jets use heavier steel compared to US jets
)
What’s happening in Nepal? How did a local clash turn into communal violence? WION Decodes
)
Have 7,000 Karnataka students tested positive for HIV? Here's the truth
)
At least 3 killed in mass shooting at Idaho restaurant, shocking video of gunman open firing with AR-style rifle surfaces
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why Russian tanks are much lighter compared to US tanks
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 batters in latest ICC ODI rankings 2026 - check who sits at the top
)
CJP's Abhijit Dipke speaks to protesting students in Jharkhand, extends support to their demands: Will he go to Ranchi?
)
Iran-US talks to begin today after Trump halts 'biggest attack since World War 2'; Tehran dials Saudi, Pak
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 openers with fastest ODI centuries, check who tops list
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Can an S-400 detect a bird?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
One S-400 battery, dozens of targets: How it fights an air battle in seconds
)
'I was almost trafficked in Paris,' says Australian woman, shares terrifying ordeal - 'I am on the black market'
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
‘Italy will not...’: Meloni threatens Spain’s Schengen access after thousands enter Ceuta from Morocco
)
World's largest digital camera captures over 500,000 galaxies, 50,000 stars in one stunning image
)
India avoids higher US tariff, secures lower 10% rate. Here's how
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
7 longest flights in the world - Singapore, Qantas, Qatar and others
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
August 2025 movie release calendar: Toxic, Batwara 1947, Awarapan 2 and all big-ticket films hitting theatres
)
1.8 Mn years old: Scientists discover two mysterious 'ghost ancestors' hidden in human genome - More details inside
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 bowlers in latest ICC Test rankings 2026 - check who sits at the top
)
'FIR not withdrawn' against Noida teen who 'abused' PM Modi despite apology, claims CJP
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How often does an S-400 need maintenance?
)
'Muslims should not befriend kaafirs': Pak Army DG says India-Afghan ties that of 'master-slave'
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 batters in latest ICC Test rankings 2026 - check who sits at the top
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why Russian fighter pilots wear blue flight suits compared to US pilots
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why are iPhones so expensive compared to Android phones?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
'Fifth-generation fighters': Can the S-400 shoot down an F-35?
)
Bomb-making note found at Ayodhya medical college, 1st-year student detained. Here’s all we know
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
From Tom Holland-Zendaya to Blake Lively-Ryan Reynolds: Actors who met on sets and fell in love and married
)
From trash to energy: Scientists turn plastic waste into Hydrogen fuel using a new technique - Here's how
He had even discussed taking time off work in order to organise the attack.
The 37-year-old's planswere so “horrifying, shocking and graphic in detail” that they were not shared in open court, according to Judge Murray. The judge added that these plans were “particularly sadistic, brutal and degrading.”
Willoughby, 43, has for years been one of the most high-profile television personalities in the United Kingdom.
Case cracked by an undercover cop
The Associated Press report said that Plumb was snared after a United States undercover police officer infiltrated an online group called “Abduct Lovers” and became so concerned about Plumb’s posts that evidence was passed to the FBI.
Plumb told the officer, who was using the pseudonym David Nelson, that he was “definitely serious” about his plot to kidnap Willoughby, leaving the officer with the impression that there was an “imminent threat” to her.
American law enforcement in turn contacted their counterparts in the UK, and when Essex police officers raided Plumb’s flat in north London they found bottles of chloroform and an “abduction kit” complete with cable ties.
(With inputs from agencies)