Holly Willoughby kidnap trial jury played voice messages of accused Gavin Plumb 'planning attack'
Gavin Plumb sent the voice messages to suspected accomplices in his plot to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby
Voice messages recorded by a former security guard who is accused of plotting to kidnap, rape and murder TV presenter Holly Willoughby have been released.
Jurors at Chelmsford Crown Court were played the messages from Gavin Plumb which detailed his plans to use chloroform to "easily restrain" his victims and force the TV presenter to "make a video that she's coming with us".
The court also heard Plumb had checked out an abandoned stud farm with cells to “keep” the presenter after kidnapping her.
The messages were sent to various people Plumb had been planning with, said prosecutors, one of whom included an undercover police officer.
He told another man she would be put in a van after a “home invasion” before being taken to “her new home and her new way of living”, the court heard.
His online searches were also read out to the jury, including “killers from Harlow in Essex”, “rape in the United Kingdom” and “violence against women – rape”.
The court also heard Plumb had discussed booking a tour to the ITV studios during Ms Willoughby’s time as a host of This Morning and whether it would involve meeting presenters.
In a WhatsApp exchange read to the court by prosecutor Alison Morgan KC, the defendant 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.”
The man he was speaking with, who went by the name of Marc, replied: “Cool, where is the location[?]”
Plumb 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.”
Gavin Plumb denies soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap, as ITV News' Neil Connery reports.
The defendant told Marc he was “looking more towards a home invasion” before he would “get control of her” and “pick up some outfits”.
He said Ms Willoughby would be taken to a “waiting van” and be taken to “her new home and her new way of living”.
In a further exchange with Marc, the defendant wrote: “Just looking on the maps images of her house. It’s looking like that there isn’t any cameras. Also I’ve found a open gate in the pics. Might need to check it out.”
He added: “The alley way route[,] the wall we’ll need to jump has spikes on it.”
In a separate message, the defendant posted a photograph 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.”
Plumb also told Marc in a voice note that “my place might be better” to hold Ms Willoughby “because there’s cameras everywhere”.
He said: “The only thing we’re missing is somewhere to hold her.”
In a further voice note, Plumb said: “I still think my place might be better cos there’s cameras everywhere.
“It’s just a temporary thing, hold her here you’ve got bed, you’ve got warmth etc.”
Plumb denies soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap.
The trial continues.
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