Gavin Plumb has been branded a "revolting creature" in a blistering rant by former Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley, following the sentencing for his plot to kidnap, rape and murder TV star Holly Willoughby.
37-year-old Plumb was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 15 years and 85 days at Chelmsford Crown Court after a week-long trial.
In graphic details revealed to the court, Plumb unearthed his plan to an undercover officer based in Minnesota, which was branded so "depraved and vile" that the media had agreed not to report them.
Handing down his verdict today, Mr Justice Edward Murray said he had "no doubt" that this was "all considerably more than a fantasy" to Plumb.
Peter Bleksley condemned the actions of 'revolting creature' Gavin Plumb for plotting to kidnap, rape and kill Holly Willoughby
GB News / PA
Reacting to the sentencing on GB News, Bleksley said Plumb's "depravity knew no depths" and praised the undercover officer based in the US for unearthing his "dreadful plotting".
Bleksley said of the sentencing: "I won't beat around the bush, he's a sad, pathetic, revolting creature, and I'm very glad he'll spend at least 15 years and 85 days in jail.
"Let's hope it's considerably longer than that, because anybody that ever considers releasing this beast must look at his previous convictions."
Highlighting Plumb's previous crimes, which involved attempting to abduct two women from trains in 2006 and received a suspended sentence, Bleksley said there has been an "escalation in Plumb's offending from the first hideous crimes".
Gavin Plumb was sentenced to life imprisonment for hatching a plot to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby
PA
The former detective fumed: "It's astonishing to think that the escalation wasn't identified, that the increasing risk to the public wasn't identified, and that he wasn't sentenced accordingly.
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"If he'd been sentenced to a more appropriate and longer jail term some time ago, maybe none of this plotting to rape, kidnap for murder Holly Willoughby would have occurred."
Discussing the length of Plumb's sentence in more detail, Bleksley argued that longer jail sentences "do work", and questioned the terminology of a "life sentence" when Plumb could only serve 15 years.
Bleksley told GB News: "People who have served lengthy jail terms decided they never wanted to go back, and so they had a very good motivation to turn their lives around, become contributing members of society, and never again commit a crime.
"There are very few people that are sentenced to a whole life tariff, which means they die in prison. Those sentences are reserved for the very, very worst offenders, people who kill multiple times."
Peter Bleksley said very few people are sentenced to a 'whole life order'
GB News
Detailing how Plumb will be on licence for the "rest of his life" despite only being sentenced to 15 years, Bleksley explained: "This man was sentenced to 16 years, minus the time that he's already served on remand, awaiting trial.
"His life sentence means that he will forever be on licence should he ever be released, and let's sincerely hope he isn't. The probation service will be able to impose restrictions upon him about where he lives, and of course he is also the subject of a sexual offences order.
"I know that still sounds unsatisfactory to many, including myself, because this jail term in my mind simply isn't long enough."
Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC has also stressed how the plot had impacted Holly Willoughby.
She said: "What I can say, and I make this submission from the prosecution... it is abundantly clear that in making that statement the prosecution submits the impact of this offending has been life-changing for the victim of these offences - both in private and personal terms - private, personal and indeed professional.
"It is clear, the prosecution submit... that the extent of the shock and fear caused by this offending has been impossible to convey."