The man accused of a plot to kidnap, rape and murder TV star has told court that he's unable to stand. Security guard Gavin Plumb, 37, begun giving evidence at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday morning (June 28). He is accused of trying to arrange the "sexually motivated" murder of the ITV presenter.
He is charged with and denies soliciting murder and incitement to kidnapping and rape last October in Harlow, Essex. Plumb entered the witness box in court on Friday to begin giving evidence in his own defence but claimed he was unable to stand up. Asked by the judge if he could stand to give his evidence, the overweight defendant replied: “I won’t be able to.
” He appeared in a grey tracksuit top, dark jogging bottoms and black trainers. Plumb told the court that being overweight has negatively affected his mental health. He said: “From the age of 13 onwards my weight began to fluctuate.
"Being a 13-year- old you are supposed to be active, playing football and things like that that but I struggled with and it really badly affected my mental health. It was something that just constantly put me down personally, I was not able to go and do what my friends and brothers were doing." Asked if he had any girlfriends at that time he said: “I was regularly in the friend zone, nothing more.
” His defence barrister Sasha Wass KC asked “Did you want more?”, to which Plumb replied: “With a couple, course.” Plumb claimed he had a girlfriend when he was 18 but it was "extremel.