Holly Willoughby's murder and kidnap plotter Gavin Plumb launches appeal against sentence
Gavin Plumb was convicted of planning to kidnap and murder Holly Willoughby
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Holly Willoughby's attempted murder, rape and kidnap plotter Gavin Plumb is seeking to appeal his convictions and his sentence after he was found guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court.
The 37-year-old, from Harlow in Essex, was sentenced at the same court earlier this month to life in prison with a minimum term of 16 years.
Royal Courts of Justice officials said that they have received applications for permission to appeal against the convictions and the sentence.
Applications for permission to appeal against a crown court decision are considered by a judge without a hearing.
If this is refused, people have the right to renew their bid for permission at a full court hearing before two or three judges.
If his appeal is successful, the case will go to the Court of Appeal where judges will decide whether to withstand or overturn the conviction.
Gavin Plumb was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 16 years
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According to the Mirror, a court official said on Tuesday, July 30, 2024: "We have received applications to appeal both [his convictions and sentence]."
During his sentencing, Plumb was told by Mr Justice Edward Murray told him: "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."
Despite being given the right to anonymity, Willoughby waived her right regarding the incitement to rape count so that she could be named in court.
In the trial, the prosecution team for Willoughby alleged that Plumb wanted to live out his "ultimate fantasy" by taking the ITV star forcefully from her home and leading her to a "dungeon".
DCI Gregg Wood spoke after Plumb was convicted
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Defending Willoughby, lawyer Sasha Wass KC said that Plumb "neither had the means nor the opportunity" to execute the plan.
Wass added that the messages from Plumb were "the ramblings of a rather sad" person and that "the plan was riddled with flaws - it was wholly unachievable".
She added to the jury that the former security guard had fallen down a "rabbit hole" of online chat rooms where "similar lonely, disaffected people were feeding off their fantasies"
Plum was arrested on October 4, 2023, and was found with a restraint kit including handcuffs and chloroform.
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Holly Willoughby issued a statement soon after Gavin Plumb's conviction
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He claimed he had found an abandoned farm to imprison Willoughby and had 10,322 photos of the Dancing on Ice host on his phone.
After Plumb was convicted and sentenced, Willoughby released a statement which read: "As women, we should not be made to feel unsafe going about our daily lives and in our own homes.
"I will forever be grateful to the undercover officer who understood the imminent threat. I would also like to commend the bravery of his previous victims for speaking up at the time.
"Without their bravery, this conviction may not have been possible."
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