The man accused of a kidnap, rape and murder plot targeting This Morning star Holly Willoughby had chloroform and cable ties in his home at the time of his arrest.
Security guard Gavin Plumb wore a grey tracksuit top, dark jogging bottoms and black trainers during the trial at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday. He denies soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap, and the trial continues. He purchased two bottles online for £9.20, the court heard.
Giving evidence at Chelmsford Crown Court today, Plumb said his online phone conversations about the alleged kidnap plot are “massively regrettable”. He also admitted to the jury that he had purchased a “kit” from Amazon that included a whip, lead, shackles, blindfold and clamps with black rope.
The jury was shown pictures from inside Plumb's home during Alison Morgan KC's cross-examination of the accused. The first two pictures showed the inside of his living room/kitchen. He had shirts hanging up on the curtain railing and endless items piling up on his coffee table.
An empty fish tank sat stagnant next to his flat-screen television. Next to his sofa was a mini fridge and a drinks fridge. On top of the drinks fridge sat two bottles of cleaning product, which he claimed he bought online. Plumb had a number of Ghostbusters merchandise on the whiter shelves attached to the wall behind his brown sofa, including action figures and toys.
The third picture was of his open drawer in his kitchen. Underneath a pair of yellow gloves was a big bag of plastic cable ties. The countertop was also severely stained. Plumb claimed he purchased the two bottles of cleaning product in order to remove a stain on his carpet.
Plumb told the police that Holly Willoughby's 'a fantasy of mine' during his arrest, a court heard today. In police body-worn video footage of Plumb’s arrest at his flat on October 4, played to jurors in court, the defendant exclaimed to officers “what are you talking about” and “please explain to me what the hell is going on”.
Told he was under arrest on suspicion of conspiracy to kidnap, Plumb said “who?” and was told it was Holly Willoughby. The defendant asked “OK, where’s that from?” and was told by an officer “that will be explained to you in custody”. He later stated to officers, in the footage from last year: “I’m not gonna lie, she is a fantasy of mine.”
The defendant told jurors his current weight was around 24-and-a-half stone, and the trial heard he weighed around 30 stone at the time he was taken into custody. Defence barrister Sasha Wass KC tasked that a video of Plumb in police custody be played in court and she said: “I wanted the jury to see Mr Plumb was talking freely and to see the size he was then as opposed to now.”
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