June 24th 2024.
A man named Gavin Plumb has been accused of plotting to kidnap and murder the well-known presenter, Holly Willoughby. The 37-year-old appeared in court on Monday at Chelmsford Crown Court, where a trial is set to take place for approximately two weeks. Plumb, who works as a shopping centre security officer, is facing charges related to the This Morning host.
The jury for the trial consists of five men and nine women, who have been sworn in and have heard the charges against Plumb. The presiding judge, Mr Justice Murray, has urged the jurors to disregard any information they may have heard about the case or the victim. He acknowledged that Holly Willoughby is a prominent public figure and that the jurors may have prior knowledge about her, but it is crucial for them to put that aside and focus only on the evidence presented in court.
Plumb is facing two charges – soliciting a man named David Nelson to commit murder and inciting to commit kidnap by planning to assemble a "kidnap and restraint kit." The prosecution has also accused Plumb of encouraging a third party, who was in the United States, to travel to the UK with a detailed plan to carry out the alleged offences. Plumb, who is from Harlow, Essex, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is standing trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.
Holly Willoughby, who is now 43 years old, will not be present at the trial. It was reported that at the time of the alleged plot, a police guard was placed outside her London home, where she lives with her husband and three children. When Plumb was charged, the news shocked everyone, including her co-host Alison Hammond, who sent her love and support on the show.
In October of last year, Willoughby announced that she would be stepping down from her role as a host on This Morning after 14 years. In a statement on social media, she expressed her gratitude towards everyone who had worked on the show and the viewers who had been loyal and supportive throughout her time there. Since then, she has returned to television as a co-host on Dancing On Ice with Stephen Mulhern, and she is set to appear on a Netflix show next year.
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