UK - Gavin Plumb, 36, arrested and charged with plot to kidnap and kill ITV presenter Holly Willoughby - Harlow, 4 Oct 2023

[ifindedout]

Her show, This Morning, was pulled from the air the next day as a precaution.

Holly Willoughby 'kidnap' suspect 'contacted US hitman to kill her'

Gavin Plumb, 36, is a security guard at the Pinnacles Shopping Centre in Harlow, who worked at Pizza Hut and McDonald's in the past but gave up after his weight ballooned to 35st.

www.dailymail.co.uk

A loner accused of plotting to kidnap and kill Holly Willoughby has been pictured leaving court after it heard he contacted a hitman in the US to snatch and murder the This Morning star.

Gavin Plumb, 36, who is a security guard at a shopping centre in Essex, had planned to assemble a 'restraint kit' at home where he had also stashed weapons, magistrates heard.

[...]

Plumb was found in possession of weapons and had reached out to a hitman in America to kill the TV presenter, 42, Chelmsford Magistrates' Court heard this afternoon. Officers are said to have seized a mobile phone and electronic devices from his flat after his arrest on Wednesday.

Note: 35st = 490 lb = 222 kg

 

[tesni]

Thanks for starting a thread. This is terrifying.

 

[Officer Dibble]

Her show, This Morning, was pulled from the air the next day as a precaution.

A loner accused of plotting to kidnap and kill Holly Willoughby has been pictured leaving court after it heard he contacted a hitman in the US to snatch and murder the This Morning star.

Gavin Plumb, 36, who is a security guard at a shopping centre in Essex, had planned to assemble a 'restraint kit' at home where he had also stashed weapons, magistrates heard.

[...]

Plumb was found in possession of weapons and had reached out to a hitman in America to kill the TV presenter, 42, Chelmsford Magistrates' Court heard this afternoon. Officers are said to have seized a mobile phone and electronic devices from his flat after his arrest on Wednesday.

Note: 35st = 490 lb = 222 kg

Well done to the Police. I wonder how they found out.

 

[dotr]

Holly Willoughby: Police find 'kidnap and restraint' kit

Suspect Gavin Plumb was building a 'kidnap and restraint' kit at his home and had arranged for a US hitman to fly over next week to snatch and kill Holly Willoughby , prosecutors have said.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Ms Willoughby, 42, is reportedly 'distraught' after learning about the plot.

''The mother-of-three is currently under police guard at her London home where she lives with her husband Daniel Baldwin, 49, and their three children - Harry, 14, Belle, 12 and Chester, 8.

Willoughby was pulled from presenting the ITV show on Thursday just moments before going on air after police informed bosses about the alleged plot. Alison Hammond replaced the 42-year-old to present the show alongside Josie Gibson.

Essex Police superintendent Tim Tubbs said: 'This was an extremely fast paced investigation, with many of our officers and national partners working overnight to secure these charges.''

 

[Oakie]

What was his motive? I couldn't find it in the linked article.

By the way, "35 stone" is 490 pounds!

 

[dotr]

'Oct 6, 2023
TV presenter Holly Willoughby is being provided with around the clock security after a man was charged over an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her. Gavin Plumb, 36, is accused of planning to assemble a "kidnap and restraint kit" and encouraging a third party to travel to the UK, to carry out his plan.''

 

[StillDiggin]

BBC article about Gavin battles with weight issues from a few years ago.

'It's not as easy as walking out the door'

Gavin didn't leave his flat for four years because of his weight, but bariatric surgery gave him hope.

www.bbc.com

 

[SuspiciousM]

What was his motive? I couldn't find it in the linked article.

By the way, "35 stone" is 490 pounds!

That’s what I wonder.

I’m bemused by this section:

On Friday, Chelmsford Magistrates' Court were told Plumb, 36, had made a 'detailed plan' with the US hitman over the internet, and Plumb was part of a network of like-minded individuals.

“Like minded individuals” in what way? Homicidal dislike of Holly Willoughby? Incels?Homicidal dislike of female celebrities in general? Hate all women?

 

[Officer Dibble]

That’s what I wonder.

I’m bemused by this section:

“Like minded individuals” in what way? Homicidal dislike of Holly Willoughby? Incels?Homicidal dislike of female celebrities in general? Hate all women?

BBM. Yes, good questions! I want to know now too.

 

[Officer Dibble]

Man charged over Holly Willoughby ‘kidnap plot’ couldn’t leave his own house

'Police are treating this as a credible conspiracy.'

metro.co.uk

He is also reported to have said: ‘My weight has always fluctuated. At my heaviest, I was 35 and a half stone. When the weight started to pile on, that was when my mental health really went down.

I was interested by the BBM bit above. I'm presuming his weight has increased again and his mental health has plummeted prior to his recent 'actions'. JMO.

I hate sitting indoors. I hate looking at the same four walls 24/7. I hate being the size I am.

That's a lot of hatred. JMO

‘I’m pretty much in pain everywhere. I get chest pains and I’ve just been told it’s because of my weight. I’m scared that if I have something to eat or if I get up and I do too much, that’s it, I’m done.’

So he regularly experiences pain and being scared and yet he is okay to inflict those things upon someone he has never met. Complete lack of empathy in my opinion. JMO.

The arrest was made on Wednesday October 4. He is currently in custody.’
This Morning bosses were alerted to the alleged plot on Thursday morning and the presenter decided to pull out shortly before she was due to go on air, The Sun added.

The way this is written, could it be that Holly was unaware until Thursday? That cyber online intel had sussed out a group he was in online (see previous post) and that is how he was found out? JMO

 

[dotr]

British Presenter ‘Will Stay Off Screen’ After Kidnap And Murder Plot Foiled; Man Appears In Court

The ITV presenter will also miss this evening's Pride of Britain Awards.

deadline.com

''The presenter of ITV’s This Morning was informed on Wednesday evening by police of an alleged conspiracy to abduct her. She did not appear on Thursday morning’s show (she doesn’t work Fridays) and will now stay off air for several weeks, including a scheduled holiday.

Shopping centre security guard Gavin Plumb appeared in court Friday, charged with offences that included soliciting to commit murder, incitement to commit kidnap, and recruiting a “hitman” from overseas.''

''Willoughby will also miss this evening’s annual Pride of Britain Awards, where she has been a longtime regular attendee, and is reported to be with her family under the guard of both police and a security team employed by ITV.''

 

[Parker Knoll]

Peculiar case. Apparently the police were tipped off but by whom ?

 

[Officer Dibble]

British Presenter ‘Will Stay Off Screen’ After Kidnap And Murder Plot Foiled; Man Appears In Court

The ITV presenter will also miss this evening's Pride of Britain Awards.

deadline.com

''The presenter of ITV’s This Morning was informed on Wednesday evening by police of an alleged conspiracy to abduct her. She did not appear on Thursday morning’s show (she doesn’t work Fridays) and will now stay off air for several weeks, including a scheduled holiday.

Shopping centre security guard Gavin Plumb appeared in court Friday, charged with offences that included soliciting to commit murder, incitement to commit kidnap, and recruiting a “hitman” from overseas.''

''Willoughby will also miss this evening’s annual Pride of Britain Awards, where she has been a longtime regular attendee, and is reported to be with her family under the guard of both police and a security team employed by ITV.''

thanks for clearing the wednesday evening thing up

 

[Officer Dibble]

Peculiar case. Apparently the police were tipped off but by whom ?

I wonder, something simple, like he mentioned it to someone, a little brag, a little hint and someone tipped the police off? jMO

 

[Parker Knoll]

It made me think of the Amy Allwine case in the States years ago, stranger things have happened. It will be very interesting to hear what the CPS have charged him on.

 

[ifindedout]

That’s what I wonder.

I’m bemused by this section:

“Like minded individuals” in what way? Homicidal dislike of Holly Willoughby? Incels?Homicidal dislike of female celebrities in general? Hate all women?

Yeah, I'm thinking maybe incels, definitely misogynists.
MOO

 

[Beans]

Yeah, I'm thinking maybe incels, definitely misogynists.
MOO

Yep. I’ve seen far too many incel types ranting about how HW is responsible for ruining a certain ex-colleague’s life etc. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he was into that scene and she became a fixation of some sort.

 

[ifindedout]

HW permanently quitting This Morning
https://www.itv.com/news/2023-10-10...is-morning-after-14-years-presenting-itv-show
Holly Willoughby’s statement in full:

Willoughby said: “I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning.

“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.

“Thank you to everyone at ITV for being supportive. To every guest who has sat on our sofa, thank you.

“Most of all, thank you to the wonderful viewers. You’ve been so loyal, so supportive and the very best company every day.

“Richard and Judy said ‘we only look after this show, it will always belong to the viewers’. It’s been an honour to just be part of its story and 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.

“I will miss you all so much.

“Holly”

 

[10ofRods]

This is so sad. I'm very glad that HW is still alive, but there's still trauma.

Once again, it's a perp who aligns himself with security/police-like ohttps://www.cnn.com/2023/07/21/us/arizona-firefighter-arson-charges/index.htmlbjectives in his work. It's along the lines of those firemen who commit arson. This is just one in a long string of stories about this kind of arson:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/21/us/arizona-firefighter-arson-charges/index.html

It's almost as if the perp in this case wanted to see himself as the Good Guy - and whatever hate he had for HW comes from a delusional need to use power over others. I assume he got caught somehow by communicating with and about a hit man. Must have driven him crazy that he was too disabled to commit the crime himself.

He's also not the brightest bulb in the box, IMO.

 

[Parker Knoll]

Mmmmm … the jury is out on this.
Bizarre doesn’t cover it.