Upon Plumb’s arrest, police discovered two sealed bottles of chloroform and a folder entitled “Holly” on his phone which contained 10,322 images of the presenter.
The court was also told how Plumb ordered four packets of 400 “heavy duty” metal cable ties and sent a video of what he described as his “kit” laid out on a bed, which included handcuffs, the cable ties, a ball gag and rope.
‘Defendant’s plans were graphic’
Ms Morgan told the court: “The defendant’s plans as to what he would do to Holly Willoughby were graphic and were obviously sexually motivated.
“They were real to him and were based on an obsession with Ms Willoughby that had developed over a number of years.”
She added: “The prosecution’s case is that this defendant’s online discussions reveal his real intention to carry out a plot to kidnap Holly Willoughby from her family home; to take her to a location where she would be raped repeatedly, before the defendant then intended to kill her.”
The jury heard Plumb began planning to attack the mother of three as early as 2021, but had been frustrated by others who had not offered him a proper commitment to carry out the attack.
In December 2021 Plumb is alleged to have discussed his plans with an individual known only as Marc.
Ms Morgan told the jury that by this time, Plumb had already identified where Willoughby lived and told Marc how he had used Google Earth to look at “potential entry routes” of her address.
The pair went on to discuss how they might get closer to Willoughby, with Plumb telling Marc in 2022: “I passed my SIA [Security Industry Authority] licence so I might try to use it to be her security.”
Ms Morgan also told of how Plumb had suggested trying to get on to a tour of the ITV studios where Willoughby was still working as a This Morning presenter at the time.
Deep fake pornography images
The defendant also shared “deep fake pornography images of Holly Willoughby”. The barrister said these images were created by others online “using her face, putting it onto the body of another female to give images of her in pornographic situations”.
In one voice note played to the jury Plumb described his plan to use chloroform to stupify Willoughby and her husband before the pair would “pick out outfits for her we like”.
“One voice message said: ‘We’re then going to force her to make a video that she came with us under her own free will… so that covers us’.”
However, the jury was told Marc never went ahead with the pair’s plans.
Yet a post Plumb shared on an online group called “Abduct lovers” was spotted by an undercover police officer who was based in the Owatonna Police Department on Oct 3.
Under the alias BigBear341987, Plumb posted an image of Willoughby standing in front of a prize wheel and wrote of how he had “a s— load of info” on her.
Fearing for the woman’s safety, the officer began engaging in a conversation with Plumb, who told him about how he knew “what time” Willoughby got up in the morning and that she didn’t have CCTV at home.
Detailing his plans, Plumb allegedly told the officer that the TV presenter’s throat would be slit and her body disposed of in a lake.
He also insisted that he was “definitely serious” about his plans and responded with “s— it’s actually happening” when the pair discussed booking flights for Nelson to come to the UK and participate in the kidnap, rape and murder that very month.
‘She is a fantasy of mine’
Following his exchanges with Plumb, the undercover officer contacted officers from the FBI and Metropolitan Police Service.
Officers attended Plumb’s home in Harlow, Essex, to arrest him on Oct 4.
When he was told that the allegations he was facing were related to a conspiracy to kidnap Willoughby, Plumb told an officer: “I’m not gonna lie. She is a fantasy of mine.”
Ms Morgan said: “There can be no sensible doubt but that this defendant was obsessed with Holly Willoughby for some time leading up to these allegations in October 2023.
“Indeed that’s exactly what he said to the police officers when they arrested him. That obsession went beyond fantasy.
“He spent hours planning an attack on Holly Willoughby that involved violence, rape and ultimately… murder.”
Plumb went on to give no comment responses when interviewed at a police station and denies all charges.
The trial continues.
Willoughby, 43, announced in October last year that she was stepping down from This Morning after 14 years.
She said in a social media post at the time that “I have to make this decision for me and my family”.
The presenter has since hosted Dancing On Ice 2024 and will present a Netflix show, to be released next year, in which adventurer Bear Grylls hunts down celebrities in the jungle.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
