A would-be bomber who planned to kidnap, rape and murder a top British celebrity was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday with a minimum jail term of 15 years.
Gavin Plumb, 37, was found guilty last week of planning to “ambush” television presenter Holly Willoughby, 43, in her home and take her to a dungeon-like room.
He was caught when an American undercover police officer infiltrated an online group and passed Plumb’s posts to the FBI.
US law enforcement officials handed the evidence over to UK police, who raided Plumb’s home in Harlow, southeastern England. They found a “kidnapping kit” that included cable ties and chloroform.
Described by Judge Edward Murray as “a well-known and much-loved public figure”, daytime television presenter Willoughby said the case had had a “life-changing” impact, according to a summary of his victim impact statement read out in court.
“It is clear, the prosecution has said, that … it is impossible to convey the extent of the shock and horror caused by this crime,” prosecutor Alison Morgan said.
Morgan also said the media did not reveal the full details of her plans because they were “too depraved and disgusting”, but the court was told Plumb had intended to harm Willoughby’s husband and children.
The court was told that Plumb, who has several previous convictions relating to kidnapping and false imprisonment, told the undercover police officer online that he planned to slit Willoughby’s throat as he tried to persuade him to join the plot.
His legal team said he “worshipped and was obsessed” with Willoughby and was “deeply saddened to have caused her so much pain”.
Specialist prosecutor Nicola Rice, from the Crown Prosecution Service, described Plumb as “a dangerous individual who plotted an act of unimaginable violence against one of the country’s most well-known people.”
“Despite his efforts to present himself as a harmless imaginative man, the prosecution convinced the jury that Plumb posed a real threat,” he said.
In England and Wales a life sentence continues until the prisoner dies, but in most cases the judge sets a minimum term, after which they become eligible for parole.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)