Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Gavin Plumb is sat emotionless as he watches Justice Murray continue his sentencing remarks.

The court room is otherwise silent as members of the press, police and public watch on - as well as the legal counsel.

The judge continues to lay out Gavin Plumb's extensive planning of the attempted kidnap plot, listing a series of messages exchanged on the Kick chat group

Justice Murray highlights how dates were fixed for intended offences to take place within the next few days, as well as looking up flight dates for David Nelson to assist.

The pair also discussed recruiting a third conspirator to assist, purchasing chloroform and other items like restraints to use.

Justice Murray outlines that Plumb was a member of chat group called "Abduct Lovers".

He recaps how Plumb described on the chat that he had "a lot of information" about Willoughby, "you knew when she does and does not have security, you knew that she did not have CCTV at home, and you knew when she got up in the morning".

He also made clear in private messages to an undercover officer that he planned a night-time home invasion of her address.

Justice Murray tells the court he has carefully read Holly Willoughby's statement, which he says she has requested to remain private.

But the judge says he is confident, after reading her statement, that the intended offences have had "life-changing consequences" on her personal and professional life.

Murray adds that women should not be made to feel unsafe.

The judge is now beginning his sentencing – you can watch his remarks by pressing the Watch button at the top of this page.

As we mentioned earlier, we will be broadcasting with a slight delay and we may mute some sections of the audio if the content is too graphic.

A warning: there could still be explicit and distressing content.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Justice Murray has returned to the court room having considered the sentence he will impose.

Plumb, who is about to hear his fate, has also been brought back into the dock, having been taken downstairs 20 minutes ago.

A reminder, the judge's sentencing remarks are about to be broadcast. You will be able to watch along at the top of this page.

Image source, Julia Quenzler

As we wait for Justice Murray to return to the courtroom, here's a quick refresh of how this case evolved.

Gavin Plumb was found guilty of plotting to kidnap, rape and murder television presenter Holly Willoughby.

During his trial, the court heard how he assembled a tool kit for highly sexualised violence against Willoughby to fulfil his "ultimate fantasy".

Plumb had posted about his intentions online, and said at one point: "I’m now at the point that fantasy isn’t enough anymore. I want the real thing.”

He was caught by a US undercover police officer who had infiltrated an online group called "Abduct Lovers".

On 3 October last year, Plumb sent the officer a video of his “abduction kit”, as well as an image of chloroform, and the officer showed him a fake flight confirmation from the US to the UK to convince Plumb he was willing to be an accomplice in the plot.

A day after that, Essex Police was informed by the FBI and Plumb was arrested.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

We've now heard from both the prosecution and the defence, who have finished outlining their cases.

Mr Justice Murray has now risen and left the court to consider his sentence.

He tells the packed-out courtroom that he will return in about 20 minutes.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Sasha Wass KC is continuing her mitigation, saying all the information Plumb obtained about Willoughby was already online.

She claims it is "a bit extreme" to state Plumb had planned a route to the TV presenter's house.

"What he did was type the address of Ms Willoughby into Google Maps and a route came up," Wass says

"It’s that route he sent the undercover officer. It's perhaps putting it rather highly to say this was a highly planned operation."

She adds: "Nothing was ever actually done."

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Plumb was "completely incapable" of scaling the walls of Willoughby's house due to his weight, Sasha Wass KC says.

Plumb said in court last month that his weight - which at its highest reached 35.5st (225kg) - affected his mental health throughout his life.

"There were features of the plan that were so unworkable that the plan could not take place," she continues.

"It is important when one considers if this was really close to an attempt or not."

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Sasha Wass KC, who is Plumb's barrister, is on her feet as she begins her mitigation.

She says the defendant is "embarrassed and ashamed" by the details of his online conversations.

"They were conversations he always expected would remain private," Wass adds.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Closing the prosecution's case, Alison Morgan KC applies for a series of orders to be imposed against Plumb.

One of those would be to prevent him from attending any public event that Willoughby is present at - including being an audience member at any show she features in.

Of course, this will only be apply if it is granted by the judge - and if Plumb is given a custodial sentence.

We have heard a lot of distressing detail about Gavin Plumb's offending.

If you have been affected in any way by anything you have read on this page today or seen in the live stream of the judge's remarks, you can get support from the BBC Action Line.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Image source, Julia Quenzler

Alison Morgan KC is continuing to argue that a life sentence should be imposed on Plumb.

"These are offences where it is clear from their nature and their persistence... there is a clear, significant risk to the public of serious harm," she adds.

"Only a life sentence would be appropriate."

Justice Murray is watching on intently as Ms Morgan makes her submissions.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Gavin Plumb's plan involved "violence of the most extreme, sexual type" against Willoughby, the prosecutor continues.

"This was not some speculative future event," Alison Morgan KC says.

"If David Nelson had been a real person, this defendant intended for these offences to be committed in a short time frame."

We have already heard about how the pivotal moment in Gavin Plumb's downfall was when he disclosed his plan to David Nelson.

Nelson, who used a pseudonym to protect his identity, was an undercover police officer from the US, stationed at the Owatonna Police Department in Minnesota.

He had been operating covertly on the social messaging app Kik, focusing on a group called "Abduct Lovers".

The trial heard last month how the chat had about 50 active members - including Plumb.

Nelson began speaking to Plumb after the defendant posted four pictures of Holly Willoughby with the caption: "The one in the public eye I want."

The police officer responded "Nice" and the pair then moved over to a private chat, where Plumb fully unveiled his plot.

He was arrested in October 2023 after Nelson flagged his concerns to the FBI, who then passed the information on to Essex Police.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Alison Morgan KC says Plumb brought himself "as close as possible" to carrying out his plan.

"What would have happened if the defendant was not arrested when he was?" she asks.

"He did not know that David Nelson was an undercover officer.

"He was, at that time, expecting David Nelson to travel to this country.

"He, the defendant, had planned the route they would take from his home address to Ms Willoughby’s address."

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

"This is a case where the court should impose a sentence of life imprisonment," Alison Morgan KC is now arguing.

Seven members of the jury have returned to hear Gavin Plumb's fate, having spent eight days sitting on the trial and delivering their verdict earlier this month.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Inside court two at Chelmsford Crown Court, there are 42 seats for the public and press to sit.

Nearly all of them today are filled with reporters from TV, radio and newspaper outlets – including the BBC.

That’s because of the very high-profile nature of the victim.

Gavin Plumb is sat in the dock to our left, with a security guard by his side.

He has remained mostly motionless as Alison Morgan KC continues to go through some of the detail of the case, only moving to infrequently use a tissue.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Crown Court

Plumb tried to encourage at least seven other people to carry out his plan, Alison Morgan KC is now saying.

"The planned offences were intended to be committed within Ms Willoughby's home and to involve her family and to involve her children," she continues.