Plumb Was Swiftly Called to Court
During the court hearing, charges amounting to possession of firearms were leveled against the defendant. Apparently, police found weapons in Plumb’s flat.
Source: Murad Merali/YouTube
Likewise, communications between Plumb and an unnamed hitman were found on his phone. From the unearthed communication, it was revealed that Plumb had crafted a detailed plan to have the “third party” fly from the US to the UK.
The Gloomy Sociopath
So far, besides the possession of lethal weapons, Plumb has also been accused of complicity in a plot to carry out a kidnapping and eventual murder.
Source: PerthNow
Plumb’s case was heard by District Judge Caroline Dickson. During the brief hearing, the Judge made Plumb understand the serious gravity of the charges against him. However, the defendant was mostly unresponsive to the Judge’s comments.
Defiant Before a Judge
During Gavin Plumb’s first hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on the 6th of October, 2023, he only responded to prompts for his age, date of birth, and name.
Source: News Reloaded/YouTube
Judge Dickson proceeded to adjourn the hearing, requesting that the defendant be made available in court on the 3rd of November. Pending the next hearing, authorities have been instructed to keep Plumb in custody.
Why Plot to Kill Willoughby?
Gavin Plumb’s motives for ordering a hit job on Holly Willoughby still remains a mystery. However, investigations have revealed that Plumb has been battling with bouts of depression for a number of years.
Source: News Reloaded/YouTube
The 36-year-old man has acknowledged his depression started when he found it difficult to control his weight. At one point, Plumb weighed a whopping 490 lbs.
A Glance at Plumb's Résumé
In 2011, Plumb worked at a fast food chain called Pizza Hut. This was most likely when his uncontrollable weight gain began. His obesity got so bad that he found it difficult to leave his flat unaided.
Source: Pizza Hut/X
After a year of kitchen assistantship at Pizza Hut, Plumb eventually resigned. At some point, he also worked for McDonald’s.
Plumb Was Once Featured on BBC
Between 2014 and 2018, Plumb was mostly a couch potato, remaining indoors all day. His neighbors confirmed that he only came out of the door occasionally to take out the trash.
Source: News Reloaded/YouTube
However, Plumb got featured on BBC in 2018. The media house was running a commentary on weight loss in the UK, and Plumb was a star participant on the show. He was also a guest on Radio 5Live.
Stacking Up the Pounds
Around this brief period of stardom, Plumb wrote a diary for the BBC. If Willoughby was at any time a staff of BBC, we could have concluded that she had a chance encounter with Plumb.
Source: News Medical
Plumb claims that his weight and health challenges got worse after his BBC feature. It was at this point in his life that he consumed an average of 35 pints of cola and loads of junk food per week.
The Cycle of Depression
During his four years of self-isolation, Gavin Plump attained his heaviest weight and binged on TV shows, one of which is likely Willoughby’s highly-rated The Morning Show on ITV.
Source: Murad Merali/YouTube
In his isolation, Plumb found himself getting depressed about his ever-increasing weight and indulging in more food to escape his depression. Unfortunately, he found himself in an endless abyss of degenerating mental and physical health.
Efforts at Weight Loss
Plumb’s weight strained his heart, and at a point, he started experiencing chronic chest pains. Before long, he got outfitted with a gastric band and had to subsist on strictly liquid foods.
Source: News Reloaded/YouTube
According to Plumb, some overweight people like himself are not that way intentionally. Of course, they got themselves into the dilemma, however, some support from people would go a long way.
A Last-Minute Evacuation
The news about the impending threat to Holly Willoughby’s life came to her knowledge at work. The 42-year-old ITV star was about to go on air as usual on a regular Thursday morning when the information filtered through to her.
Source: News Reloaded/YouTube
She had to be evacuated immediately from the premises and was escorted back to her residence, where the police have since mounted a round-the-clock watch.
Empathy for Willoughby
Willoughby’s colleagues have been standing in for the ITV star since her absence. Though they initially did not share the circumstances of Willoughby’s unannounced absence, they eventually let the cat out of the bag by sending their love and support during a subsequent episode of The Morning Show.
Source: Murad Merali/YouTube
Plumb is still in custody, pending his November 3 hearing, while his American accomplice is at large.