‘Gavin Plumb is an obsessive loner’published at 13:22 BST

13:22 BST

Greg Wood has stubble and is wearing glasses, a black suit jacket, dark green tie and a pale blue shirt. Behind him is the Essex Police crest on a computer monitor

As Gavin Plumb’s appeal against his life sentence is dismissed at the Court of Appeal in London, we look back at what was said after his trial in last year.

Det Ch Insp Greg Wood, who led Essex Police’s investigation, spoke to the BBC after his conviction in July 2024.

He described Plumb as an “obsessive loner” who assembled “all the items he needed to cause Holly Willoughby some serious harm”.

“If the American officer hadn’t contacted us… I’ve got no doubt that Gavin Plumb could’ve gone on to commit some really horrific crimes,” he added.

Nicola Rice, specialist prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, also said Plumb’s plan was “chilling”.

“Gavin Plumb is a dangerous man who plotted unspeakable violence against one of the nation’s most familiar faces,” she said.

“Despite his attempts to pass himself off as a harmless fantasist, the prosecution persuaded the jury that Plumb posed a very real threat.”