On Friday, a would-be assailant with plans to abduct, rape, and kill a well-known UK celebrity was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 15 years.
Gavin Plumb, 37, was found guilty last week of plotting to “ambush” Holly Willoughby, 43, a television presenter, at her house and then drag her into a place comparable to a dungeon.
After a US undercover police officer broke into an internet forum and sent the FBI Plumb’s posts, he was apprehended.
Following the transfer of evidence from US law enforcement to UK authorities, Plumb’s house in Harlow, southeast England, was searched. They discovered an “abduction kit” that contained chloroform and cable ties.
A summary of Willoughby’s victim impact statement delivered in court stated that the case had a “life-changing” impact on the daytime television presenter, who was referred to by Judge Edward Murray as a “well-known and well-loved public figure..
“It is clear, the prosecution submits, that the extent of the shock and fear caused by this offense has been impossible to convey,” said Alison Morgan, the prosecutor.
The court was informed that Plumb had meant to hurt Willoughby’s husband and children, but Morgan said that the media had not covered the full depth of his plans because they were “so depraved and vile.”
As he attempted to persuade Willoughby to assist in the scheme, Plumb—who has a history of convictions for kidnapping and false imprisonment—told the undercover police officer online that he intended to cut Willoughby’s neck, the court heard.
According to his legal representatives, he was “devastated to be the cause of such pain to her” and “worshipped and was obsessed” with Willoughby.
Plumb was described as “a dangerous man who plotted unspeakable violence against one of the nation’s most familiar faces” by Nicola Rice, a specialist prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service.
“Despite his attempts to pass himself off as a harmless fantasist, the prosecution persuaded the jury that Plumb posed a very real threat,” she stated.
Life in prison is a sentence that lasts in England and Wales until the prisoner passes away; however, the court typically sets a minimum time that allows the prisoner to be released from custody after that point.
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