Current:Home > FinanceMan who plotted to murder TV host Holly Willoughby sentenced to life: Reports-InfoLens
Man who plotted to murder TV host Holly Willoughby sentenced to life: Reports
View Date:2024-12-23 15:02:23
Gavin Plumb, the security guard who planned to kidnap, rape and murder "This Morning" TV host Holly Willoughby during a home invasion, has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 16 years, according to reports.
After an eight-day trial, Plumb, 37, was found guilty of soliciting murder, encouraging or assisting the commission of a kidnapping and encouraging or assisting the commission of rape, according to The Guardian and the BBC.
He posted these plans in an online group chat called “Abduct Lovers” and considered taking time off work to prepare for the attack, The Guardian reported.
He was circumvented by a United States undercover police officer who infiltrated the online chat and reported Plumb’s posts to the FBI, according to The Guardian. After being contacted by US law enforcement, Essex police officers raided Plumb’s flat in north London and found an “abduction kit” with cable ties and bottles of chloroform, The Guardian and The Telegraph reported.
Willoughby had been one of the United Kingdom’s most notable television personalities for years, but quit "This Morning" on Oct. 10 after Plumb's initial arrest.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
"I've let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to 'This Morning,'" she announced on Instagram. "To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so so much. This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we've done together."
The TV host went on to thank her co-workers for “being supportive” along with their “wonderful viewers” and guests for being “the best company every day.”
"I know this story has many chapters left to go. Sadly, however, I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family," she concluded. "I will miss you all so much."
Willoughby returned to ITV to co-host the channel’s series “Dancing on Ice” in January.
Judge Edward Murray of Chelmsford Crown Court said Plumb’s plans were too “horrifying, shocking and graphic in detail” to be shared in open court and were shared privately with the jury instead, according to the outlets.
He added that they were “particularly sadistic, brutal and degrading” and were certainly “more than a fantasy.”
In his sentencing, Justice Murray said, “There is no doubt that if you had genuinely found one or more accomplices who were seriously interested in and had been willing to join you in carrying your plan through then you would have put this plan into action.”
veryGood! (32)
Related
- Bitcoin has topped $87,000 for a new record high. What to know about crypto’s post-election rally
- There are so few doctors in Maui County that even medical workers struggle to get care
- A first look at the 2025 Cadillac Escalade
- Florida dad accused of throwing 10-year-old daughter out of car near busy highway
- US Congress hopes to 'pull back the curtain' on UFOs in latest hearing: How to watch
- Jonathan Majors breaks silence on Robert Downey Jr. replacing him as next 'Avengers' villain
- Drunk driver was going 78 mph when he crashed into nail salon and killed 4, prosecutors say
- Who is Paul Whelan? What to know about Michigan man freed from Russia
- Advocates Expect Maryland to Drive Climate Action When Trump Returns to Washington
- 26 people taken to hospital after ammonia leak at commercial building in Northern Virginia
Ranking
- Bev Priestman fired as Canada women’s soccer coach after review of Olympic drone scandal
- Former CNN anchor Don Lemon sues Elon Musk over canceled X deal: 'Dragged Don's name'
- 1 killed and 3 wounded in shooting in Denver suburb of Aurora on Thursday, police say
- After Gershkovich and Whelan freed, this American teacher remains in Russian custody
- Round 2 in the Trump-vs-Mexico matchup looks ominous for Mexico
- Simone Biles edges Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade for her second Olympic all-around gymnastics title
- Body of 20-year-old North Carolina man recovered after 400-foot fall at Grand Canyon National Park
- Gabby Thomas was a late bloomer. Now, she's favored to win gold in 200m sprint at Olympics
Recommendation
-
More than 150 pronghorns hit, killed on Colorado roads as animals sought shelter from snow
-
Can dogs eat grapes? Know which human foods are safe, toxic for your furry friends.
-
4 Las Vegas teens agree to plead guilty as juveniles in deadly beating of high school student
-
CrowdStrike sued by shareholders over huge software outage
-
Bankruptcy judge questioned Shilo Sanders' no-show at previous trial
-
Marketing firm fined $40,000 for 2022 GOP mailers in New Hampshire
-
More women are ending pregnancies on their own, a new study suggests. Some resort to unsafe methods
-
Colorado wildfires continue to rage as fire-battling resources thin