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00:00The arrest is the pivotal moment in any investigation.
00:12If you get it wrong, then it's game over.
00:17Get on your ground now!
00:21Police officer with a teaser!
00:24Teaser, teaser, teaser!
00:30Fuck this, I'm streaming!
00:44Everything they're doing is on body-worn video.
00:46Police!
00:48Everything they're doing would be examined by defence lawyers.
00:52He shoots you again!
00:54They can't make any mistakes.
00:56Fire, we're telling you, please, bro!
01:00Outside a block of flats on the edge of town, preparations for an arrest that will rock the world of show business.
01:23The element of surprise is very important to the police because, essentially, if they knock on the door and then the person realises who they are, they might make efforts to conceal things or hide things they might have been doing at the time.
01:38And that was very much the case here.
01:40The target, a 36-year-old man, suspected of planning to kidnap one of Britain's most famous celebrities.
01:50They obviously believed that this threat was imminent.
01:53That's probably why they used the knock on the door with the big red key rather than a knock on the door with a hand.
02:02Police!
02:03Stay where you are!
02:04Do not touch anything!
02:05Don't exercise!
02:06What's going on?
02:07What the hell is going on?
02:10Listen to what my colleague has got to say.
02:12Right, you're under arrest on suspicion of conspiracy.
02:15You do not have a sign of anything.
02:17What is going on?
02:18What are you talking about?
02:19You're investing in something that's left alone and anything you do is anything you do.
02:23They wanted an element of surprise.
02:25And I think you can see that on him.
02:27When they actually go in and arrest him, he is shocked.
02:31So, at the moment, you're under arrest for conspiracy statistics.
02:34Who?
02:35Holly Willoughby.
02:36I don't think those ones are warm.
02:38I'm not going to lie.
02:38She's a fantasy of mine.
02:40I mean, she's a fantasy of a lot of girls, isn't she?
02:42Holly Willoughby was arguably the queen of daytime television, so she was very much forefront
02:58on This Morning, which is a huge daytime TV show.
03:03She'd been doing it for 14 years.
03:06And I would say that her image was very much that of Girl Next Door, which, of course, gives
03:11her an accessibility to viewers.
03:14And the nature of daytime television is that you get viewers that watch it all the time,
03:18and they start to sort of feel that you're sort of part of their family.
03:21One viewer is determined to take that familiarity to a new and terrifying level.
03:34Gavin Plum was a severely obese man in his 30s from Harlow in Essex.
03:40He was previously featured on various documentaries about weight loss for the BBC.
03:45I only really got out my front door to put a bin bag in the bin just outside the flat.
03:52And that's every few days.
03:55When I'm in pain, the pain gets so bad that I physically...
03:58It's crippling.
04:00It is physically crippling.
04:03Because he's spending so much time at home, he's exposed to a lot of daytime television.
04:08Holly Willoughby is essentially...
04:10She has been the face of daytime TV for many, many years.
04:13And most days, she's on his screen, and he develops this obsession with her.
04:18He gets really, really into wanting to meet her and then subject her to horrific forms of violence.
04:28More than 4,000 miles away, a police officer specialising in online investigations
04:41dials into an internet chat room and spots something suspicious.
04:46We don't know his real name.
04:49He used the pseudonym David Nelson.
04:52He is an officer based in Minnesota in the USA.
04:55As part of a unit which specialises in covert operations online,
04:59looking into potential groups that are organising acts of violence,
05:04acts of terrorism, human trafficking, sexual violence, all of that sort of thing.
05:08The real dark underbelly of the internet.
05:10The undercover officer was online and had seen some pictures posted of Holly Willoughby.
05:16And there was quite an alarming caption saying, like, the one that I want.
05:23He really thought he was going to get her.
05:25And I believe that's what caught the officer's eye.
05:27And then, of course, he's investigated it a little bit further
05:29and pursued what he had in front of him.
05:31The internet chat room is titled Abduct Lovers.
05:42Posting pictures of Holly.
05:43The user calling himself BigBear341987.
05:48Real name, Gavin Plum.
05:52Now being secretly pursued by undercover officer David Nelson.
05:56And at this point, David Nelson, he's not aware of who Holly Willoughby is.
06:02He's based in America.
06:03He doesn't really have much exposure to the UK television scene.
06:07So he's seeing all these photos and then he's seeing Plum's messages about her,
06:12about what he wants to do to her.
06:14That officer acted very quickly.
06:17I mean, he's from the States.
06:19I don't even know if he knew who Holly was.
06:21But he absolutely knew that what he was seeing online was very serious.
06:28I think for Nelson, he's probably seen a relatively young, very attractive blonde lady.
06:34You know, she's beautiful, isn't she?
06:36Don't forget, this cop will also be naturally inquisitive.
06:39He's a police officer.
06:40We're all keen to learn more and want to know what people are doing.
06:43So I think he's probably seen the pictures, seen the caption,
06:47and felt the threat was imminent and that he was going to act on it.
06:51HE SINGS
06:52Encouraged by David Nelson's interest, Gavin Plum reveals more.
07:04Plum even shares a video of his equipment spread out,
07:08so the chloroform, the cable ties, the handcuffs, all that sort of thing.
07:11He'd bought 400 cable ties.
07:25He'd gone into detail about the address of where she lived.
07:28He was talking about moving Holly once she was unconscious.
07:32I think that's probably the point.
07:33You thought, hang on, this guy's a bit serious.
07:35Growing more convinced the plot is real,
07:44undercover officer Nelson raises the stakes.
07:47To gain the trust of Gavin Plum,
07:51Nelson claims that he's really interested to come over to the UK
07:55from the USA to help him out.
07:58And he even goes as far as presenting Plum with a picture
08:01of a ticket, a flight ticket to the UK.
08:04It's not a real one, but it's enough to convince Plum
08:07that he's serious about coming over here,
08:09to which Plum gets very excited.
08:11And the message Plum sends back once he's had all this is,
08:14shit, it's actually happening.
08:17And it goes from there.
08:19Obviously, he's engaged with him a little bit,
08:21which he would do.
08:21You'd tickle it and see what's happening.
08:23He pushed it a little bit further.
08:27He learns Big Bear's real name is Gavin Plum.
08:31And here's his plan.
08:33To render Holly and her husband unconscious,
08:35then kidnap the TV star from her home in West London.
08:39He's talking about logistics,
08:42that it's at night, where they're going to take her to,
08:44how they're going to subdue her.
08:46And it's all...
08:47What he's talking about is horrific.
08:52Unknown to Gavin Plum, he's being recorded.
08:57Right, plan of action.
09:00I'll give you a brief rundown.
09:02Don't worry, mate, we've got that sorted.
09:04It's all going to be done.
09:06What we're going to do is this, this and this.
09:07Basically, we're going to hit it at night.
09:13Less traffic on the road, et cetera.
09:17Chloroform, both of them.
09:20That way, then, they can both be easily restrained.
09:24From a professional standpoint, of course,
09:27you have to take these threats seriously.
09:29He's saying he's going to do it.
09:31So why would we not believe it?
09:32We're then going to force her to make a video.
09:35She's saying that she's with us under her own free will.
09:39And she's really consenting into everything we do to her.
09:44So that covers us.
09:45This absolutely had to be taken seriously
09:51because he was having conversations online
09:53in a forum called Abduck Lovers.
09:56And he was having a conversation
09:57with an undercover police officer,
10:00basically saying, this is what I want to do.
10:02We're going to go there in the night.
10:04We need two lots of chloroform.
10:05He knew that she didn't have CCTV on her house.
10:10I mean, he had a level of detail
10:12that was quite astounding.
10:15I still think my place might be better
10:17because there's cameras everywhere.
10:19It's just a temporary thing.
10:20Hold her here.
10:21You've got bed.
10:22You've got warmth, et cetera.
10:24Need you there, mate.
10:25Like you say, the chloroform bit's going to be fun.
10:27Picking the outfits is going to be fun.
10:29So if you can get to the UK, to England,
10:32that'd be awesome because then you can be part of it.
10:37David Nelson, an undercover police officer
10:39from the other side of the world,
10:41he's probably sat back for a minute and thought,
10:44I've just come across something here
10:45that I was not expecting today.
10:48Plum was certain that he wanted to do this.
10:50Nelson felt that the threat was imminent
10:52and that he was going to act on it.
10:54There was a lot of evidence in this case
10:56that they need to get quickly.
11:02Gavin Plum is confident he's found an accomplice
11:24to help him kidnap ITV This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby.
11:28But Plum doesn't know that he's been tricked
11:34by an undercover officer in the USA
11:36using the false name of David Nelson.
11:42Nelson felt the threats coming from Plum were imminent.
11:45You know, Plum had said how excited he was.
11:47You could tell how excited he was.
11:48Thank goodness that, A, Gavin Plum ended up speaking
12:04to an undercover officer in America
12:06and, B, that that officer acted very quickly
12:10and he reported it to the FBI.
12:12The US authorities, under the instructions of David Nelson,
12:23will have informed Scotland Yard
12:25your advice is to safeguard her
12:27and then go and investigate him immediately.
12:37Because Plum is based in Essex, Scotland Yard
12:40they've passed this intelligence to Essex Police
12:42who then trace Plum's address
12:44and they go to his address to arrest him.
12:53The arrest team is instructed to take no chances.
12:58Essex Police don't know how dangerous he is.
12:59He could have weapons.
13:01So they have literally gone in, all weapons blazing
13:03to make sure that he is secured
13:04as soon as they clamp eyes on him.
13:06They actually arrested him at night,
13:10which is very rare.
13:11You would normally wait, you know,
13:12a quick six o'clock in the morning knock on the door
13:14where you know he's going to be at home.
13:16But they didn't want to waste a second with him,
13:18which tells you quite a lot.
13:19They wanted to get into the address,
13:21they wanted to secure all of the devices
13:22and get him in custody
13:24before there was either things deleted
13:26or he went out to try and commit this offence.
13:29There was a lot of officers there.
13:30Again, I think that's probably to do
13:31with the search of the property
13:32rather than the physical arrest of Plum.
13:36Here they go.
13:41Police!
13:42Stay where you are.
13:43Do not touch anything.
13:44What's going on?
13:47What the hell is going on?
13:49This is what my colleague has got to say.
13:50Right, you're under arrest
13:51on suspicion of conspiracy.
13:53You do not have to solve anything.
13:55She's got the cuff straight on him,
13:56the arresting officer.
13:57She's literally walked in and cuffed him
13:58before she's even said anything to him.
14:01The room is a complete tip.
14:04There's just stuff absolutely everywhere
14:06and he's obviously not got much clothing on,
14:09unfortunately.
14:10What is going on?
14:12This is talking to you.
14:12I've got an interesting.
14:13We're in touch here.
14:14I've got an interesting.
14:15We're in touch here.
14:16I'm going to do something to do.
14:16I don't know.
14:17Can you tell me you're talking to me?
14:18Right.
14:19You're getting new, right?
14:20Right.
14:21Yeah, you are.
14:22Very gentle.
14:22The police for the arrest
14:24are to allow for a contractual investigation
14:25by and to get them
14:28and then you're sort of
14:28kind of physical crime.
14:30To who?
14:31OK, you're so dirty about
14:33To who?
14:34Can you please explain to me
14:35what the hell is going on?
14:36It's like when he's asking
14:38what is going on,
14:39like he already knows
14:40what's happening
14:40but he's trying to make out
14:42he doesn't,
14:43like he's doing this force,
14:45it seems really force
14:45and overacting.
14:47To who?
14:48To who?
14:50Can you please explain to me
14:52what the hell is going on?
14:53But it's like he does know already
14:55and then
14:57when she's explaining it to him
14:59he's just like
15:00pretending he's all like shocked
15:01and trying to do
15:01these facial expressions
15:02but it's not really convincing.
15:05So at the moment
15:06you're under arrest
15:07for conspiracy to kick that.
15:09Who?
15:09Holly Willoughby.
15:10I don't think those ones are all.
15:13He realises that
15:14the police may well
15:15have a lot of information on him
15:17that he thought
15:18was completely anonymous
15:19and private
15:20and at that point
15:22the penny is dropping
15:23that he's in very, very hot water.
15:26He was trying to work out
15:27in his own head
15:28what his story was going to be.
15:29The officer was very good with him.
15:31She was explaining
15:33that you're going to be arrested,
15:34you're going to be interviewed
15:35over the threats of kidnap
15:37for Holly Willoughby.
15:39That's the allegation.
15:41Okay, where's that gone from?
15:43Already it looks like he's thinking
15:44where have they got that information from,
15:46who's told them,
15:47what one of my accomplices
15:48that I've been speaking to
15:49has told them this.
15:51It's like he feels like
15:51someone's sort of like
15:52grasped him up
15:53or dobbed him in
15:54rather than
15:55actually you've done it all yourself
15:56and unravelled this yourself.
15:59It's like he's a bit confused by it.
16:01Like I said,
16:02it'll be time to be in custody
16:03and you'll be interviewed about it.
16:05I'm not going to tell you
16:06any further than that
16:07at this current time, okay?
16:08Okay then.
16:09That is the allegation.
16:12I'm not going to lie,
16:13she's a fantasy of mine.
16:14I'm used to the fantasy of mine,
16:15isn't she?
16:16Yeah, I'm not going to lie,
16:18she's a fantasy of mine,
16:20she's the fantasy of a lot of guys,
16:22isn't she?
16:23Um,
16:24uh, yeah.
16:25I mean,
16:26it's just,
16:30yeah.
16:31I think he just genuinely
16:32has no idea
16:34of what he's done
16:36and what's about to hit him,
16:38which is the, uh,
16:39the full might of the law.
16:40Thank goodness.
16:41I'm not going to lie,
16:43she's a fantasy of mine,
16:44and I'm used to the fantasy of a lot of guys,
16:46isn't she?
16:47For someone who then goes on
16:49to plead not guilty,
16:50you would think that perhaps,
16:51um,
16:52that's not the right thing to say
16:53when you're accused
16:54of wanting to try and kidnap her.
16:57That'd be the last thing on your mind
16:58if you're getting arrested for kidnap.
17:00This is serious.
17:01But all he still wants to talk about
17:02is that he fancies her
17:03and he's obviously crazy,
17:06like he's absolutely deluded.
17:07He's almost pretty much
17:08banged to right straight away.
17:11It's,
17:11it's damning.
17:13It's damning.
17:16Gavin Plum then appears to cooperate,
17:18but knows the arrest team
17:20is close to finding
17:21even more compelling evidence.
17:24Mate,
17:25if you were not,
17:26I'm opening this vote to you up.
17:27As you said,
17:28the reason they're going to try that
17:31is because,
17:31because of the offence
17:32that you've been arrested for,
17:33we need to make sure
17:33that we can gather
17:34as much evidence as we can
17:35as quickly as we can.
17:36They need to secure
17:37all the evidence
17:38before anything
17:39is potentially tampered with
17:40or moved.
17:41And they were right to do that
17:43because they broke in
17:44and he had no time
17:45to put his phone away.
17:46Do you have to put the door in
17:47to secure the evidence?
17:49All right.
17:49You've got no reason.
17:51His phone was right there
17:52with these chat logs open.
17:54So that's very crucial evidence
17:56which they captured straight away.
18:01Now,
18:02police build a much bigger case
18:04that Gavin Plum planned
18:05not just kidnap
18:06but also rape
18:08and murder.
18:12So we're in the cells now
18:13and Plum is a very different man
18:15to how he was
18:16when police were breaking down his door.
18:21I think deep down
18:24he probably at this point
18:25knows what he's done
18:27is illegal.
18:27but he's not willing
18:30to admit that
18:30and
18:31he still hasn't
18:32to this day.
18:41After the arrest
18:42the key question
18:43for the trial
18:44was Gavin Plum
18:46a serious threat?
18:49Gavin Plum
18:50is over 30 stone.
18:51He's very much obese.
18:53Not physically capable
18:54in the slightest
18:55and then
18:56he is talking about
18:58vaulting a wall
18:59around someone's house
19:00breaking into their house
19:02subduing
19:03Holly and her husband
19:04then
19:05taking Holly away
19:06bundling her into a car
19:08all of this
19:09without any alarm
19:10being raised.
19:11So the defence
19:12went very hard
19:13on the notion
19:14that this was a fantasy.
19:16The prosecution
19:22claimed
19:23that despite his size
19:24Gavin Plum
19:25did intend
19:26to kidnap
19:27Holly Willoughby.
19:30Hearing all these facts
19:31of cable ties
19:32chloroform
19:33day-to-day living
19:34cameras
19:35he's got somebody
19:36flying from America
19:36to help him
19:37his excuse
19:38of his weight
19:39isn't going to cut it.
19:41He had intent
19:41he was going
19:42to carry this out
19:43and he had got someone
19:44with more physical ability
19:45to help him
19:46and yes
19:47the defence are saying
19:48he can't physically do it
19:50no he couldn't
19:52but he had asked
19:52someone else
19:53to do it with him.
19:56You might look
19:56at Gavin Plum
19:57and think
19:58this man could never
19:59he's not even going
20:00to leave his house
20:01how could he
20:01do any harm
20:02on anybody?
20:03Anybody who thinks
20:04that has never been
20:05the victim of a stalker
20:07for a start
20:08their actions
20:10get inside your head
20:12and when they know
20:12where you live
20:13and when they have
20:14a level of detail
20:15about your life
20:16that they really
20:17shouldn't have
20:18because they've gone
20:19looking for it
20:20and they obviously
20:20have means
20:21of getting it
20:22trust me
20:23it's very serious
20:25and it should be
20:27treated as such.
20:32A 37 year old man
20:34has been jailed
20:35for life
20:35serving a minimum
20:36of 16 years
20:37for plotting
20:38to kidnap
20:39rape and murder
20:40television presenter
20:42Holly Willoughby
20:43Gavin Plum
20:45from Harlow
20:45in Essex
20:46assembled a toolkit
20:48for highly sexualised violence
20:50but he was arrested
20:52after he unwittingly
20:53disclosed his plans
20:54online
20:55to an undercover
20:56police officer
20:57in the US.
21:00Speaking from experience
21:01Officer Nelson
21:03did an incredible job
21:04I think he's used
21:06his investigative ability
21:07and his
21:08you know
21:08his mindset
21:09was fantastic
21:10because he just knew
21:11it was something
21:12to work with
21:13and I think he did
21:15exactly the right thing.
21:18It was revealed
21:19that everywhere he went
21:20Gavin Plum
21:21was a danger.
21:23Twice
21:23carrying imitation guns
21:25he tried to kidnap
21:27women on local trains
21:28at the nearby
21:30shopping precinct
21:31he imprisoned
21:32two 16 year old girls
21:34after his arrest
21:36police found
21:3710,000 photographs
21:39of Holly Willoughby
21:39in his flat.
21:44What struck me
21:45about Gavin Plum
21:47when I first saw
21:48the arrest footage
21:49was just how
21:50sort of
21:52mundane
21:53and ordinary
21:54he seemed
21:55and to think
21:56that
21:57somebody like that
21:58had such
21:59a terrible impact
22:01on the life
22:02of somebody
22:03much loved
22:04by the nation
22:05was almost
22:07hard to believe
22:08at first.
22:10After 14 years
22:12Holly Willoughby
22:13left this morning
22:14immediately after
22:15the arrest
22:16of Gavin Plum.
22:17Her statement said
22:18I now feel
22:19I have to make
22:20this decision
22:21for me
22:21and my family.
22:24Today
22:24an ITB
22:25spokesperson
22:26has released
22:27a statement
22:27saying this news
22:29has come as a huge
22:30shock to everyone
22:31at this morning
22:31and ITV.
22:33We are providing
22:33all of the support
22:34we can to Holly
22:35and her family
22:37at this incredibly
22:38distressing time.
22:41Everyone I know
22:42messaged Holly
22:43just to say
22:44we are so sorry
22:45that you're going
22:46through this
22:47and you know
22:48hope you're okay.
22:49I mean it's terrifying
22:52and she's got
22:53young children
22:54and all she does
22:56is appear on television
22:57do her job
22:58go home
22:58does the school run
23:00and to be subjected
23:02to this sort of
23:03psychological terror
23:05actually
23:06that's what it is.
23:08No one deserves that
23:10and you know
23:11it absolutely
23:12should be treated
23:12very seriously
23:13by both the police
23:15and the judiciary
23:15and then I'm very glad
23:16that in this case
23:17it was.
23:18I just found a body.
23:38Right okay
23:39a body is it
23:40are they breathing?
23:42No
23:42they're dead
23:43they look like
23:43they've possibly been there
23:45like a few days
23:46right okay
23:49bear me a second
23:49let's pop this on.
23:53Police called to
23:54a report of a body
23:56found near the
23:57Bennet Road area
23:58of Zolcombe
23:58on the 27th of June
24:00and our initial
24:01inquiries have
24:02identified that
24:03female as
24:04Mi Chong
24:05a 67 year old
24:06from the Wembley
24:07area of London
24:08who was reported
24:09missing in London
24:10on the 11th of June.
24:14For 16 days
24:15Mi Chong
24:16known as
24:17Debra Chong
24:18has been missing.
24:27Nine days later
24:28police go
24:29to arrest
24:30a suspect.
24:33In this case
24:34their suspicion
24:35fell on
24:36Gemma Mitchell.
24:38It was a
24:39dramatic
24:39police rage
24:41they turned up
24:41at her house
24:42they rammed
24:44the door
24:44down.
24:52Police!
24:56Hello there.
24:57Hello.
24:58Yeah good.
24:59There's an answer.
25:00Sorry what's your name?
25:01I'm sorry I'm going to sleep.
25:03Are you Gemma?
25:03No.
25:04Okay Gemma.
25:05Just give you a second.
25:07Come on.
25:08Come on a second.
25:09Gemma do you want to come off?
25:11Yeah sure sure.
25:12Hands just fancy them.
25:13Hands just so into your hands.
25:14Alright Gemma
25:15at this moment
25:15I'm resting on a suspicion
25:16of murder.
25:17Okay you don't have to say
25:18anything but you may
25:19hold your fence
25:19if you want to mention
25:20one question
25:20something which you later
25:21rely on court.
25:22Anything you do say
25:23may be given the evidence.
25:24Okay once you're in your cuffs.
25:28I'll get a spay
25:28everything to you.
25:29Okay.
25:30Should I get some shoes?
25:31No sorry.
25:31What?
25:32If you want to one sec?
25:32Who's inside at the moment?
25:35Um mother.
25:36Your mother?
25:36Yeah.
25:36Okay.
25:40As an investigator
25:41a murder investigator
25:42for me
25:43this was one of the
25:44most important stages
25:46of an investigation
25:48is that arrest.
25:50Alright Gemma
25:50at this moment
25:51I'm resting on a suspicion
25:52of murder.
25:53There's no replicating
25:54standing in front of them
25:55delivering those words
25:57and looking at them
25:58in the eye.
25:59How do they respond?
26:01What am I seeing?
26:03Gemma Mitchell's reaction
26:04for me is one
26:05of a guilty person.
26:07Okay.
26:08Should I get some shoes?
26:08Sorry.
26:09What?
26:09Do you want to one sec?
26:11There's no questions
26:12being put to the officer.
26:14There's no shock.
26:16There's no reaction
26:16that I would expect
26:17to see in someone
26:18who's completely innocent
26:19being arrested for
26:21the most serious crime
26:22you can be arrested for
26:23and just accepting it.
26:25I wouldn't.
26:26Would you?
26:29Gemma Mitchell
26:29was born in Australia.
26:32She was highly educated.
26:33She then came over
26:35to the UK with her mother
26:36when her parents separated.
26:38She started to study
26:39at King's College London
26:41in human sciences
26:42and significantly
26:44there was a module
26:45within that course
26:46where she learnt
26:47to dissect
26:49a human body.
26:50She also was
26:52a trained osteopath
26:52and she was
26:54a devout Christian.
26:56Gemma Mitchell
26:57and Deborah Chong
26:59met through
27:00a church group.
27:01both of them
27:02committed
27:02devout Christians.
27:04Very quickly
27:05over a few months
27:08they became
27:08very close friends
27:09and there was
27:10evidence of that.
27:11There were
27:11hundreds of messages
27:13sent between
27:14the two of them.
27:15Deborah Chong
27:31has been missing
27:31all day.
27:35Deborah's lodger
27:36then arrives at home
27:37in the evening
27:38and he
27:39notices that
27:41Deborah's not there.
27:42He notices also
27:43that her glasses
27:44and her mobile phone
27:46are still in the house
27:48and he rings police
27:49and reports her
27:50as missing.
27:58The next day
27:59the lodger decided
28:00to message
28:02Deborah's good friend
28:03Gemma Mitchell
28:04just to see
28:05whether she had
28:06an idea of where
28:07Deborah could be
28:07and
28:08Mitchell responded
28:10with a text message
28:11saying that
28:11Deborah decided
28:12to go away.
28:14She'd gone to
28:14visit friends
28:15and she was going
28:16there for a year
28:17and it was somewhere
28:18near the ocean.
28:21And that message
28:22clearly from Gemma
28:23was to try to
28:23reassure
28:24this lodger.
28:27For two weeks
28:28no one sees
28:30or hears anything
28:31from Deborah Chong.
28:32But when her body
28:35is discovered
28:36in the seaside resort
28:37of Sulcombe, Devon
28:38a murder inquiry
28:40begins
28:40200 miles away
28:42in London.
28:44It will be
28:45the Metropolitan Police
28:46responsibility
28:47for investigating
28:48the crime
28:49because given
28:50all the circumstances
28:51that is where
28:52the murder
28:52is likely
28:53to have taken place.
28:54A murder investigation
28:55team
28:56of roughly
28:57about 20 detectives
28:58one of the most
29:00important roles
29:01in this investigation
29:02would be that
29:03of the CCTV officer
29:04which would be
29:05a detective constable
29:06and it would be
29:07their responsibility
29:08to collect CCTV
29:09and then viewing it
29:11understanding
29:12what the footage shows.
29:17The CCTV in this case
29:19was hugely important
29:20especially around
29:21the movements
29:22of Gemma Mitchell.
29:28On June the 11th
29:332021
29:34Gemma
29:35decides to leave
29:36her house
29:37quite early on
29:38in the morning
29:38at around
29:39half past six.
29:42Gemma Mitchell
29:43was seen
29:43pulling a suitcase
29:44behind her
29:45a large suitcase
29:47that quite clearly
29:48was empty
29:49because it was easy
29:50for her to lift
29:51and manoeuvre
29:52and she's sort of
29:54just strolling
29:54along the street.
29:56She is
29:57about to get
29:58on a train.
30:03Next
30:04police discover
30:05CCTV
30:06showing Gemma Mitchell
30:07wearing a face mask
30:09and a beanie.
30:13She is taking
30:14that suitcase
30:15to Deborah Chong's
30:17house.
30:22She's then spotted
30:23leaving the house
30:26dragging along
30:28not one
30:29but two suitcases.
30:33When she had
30:34taken it
30:34from her house
30:35she didn't have
30:36any problems
30:36dragging it along.
30:37After she left
30:39Deborah's house
30:39it's very clear
30:41she's having
30:42difficulty
30:42trying to drag
30:43it along.
30:44It looks very heavy
30:45and she's having
30:46difficulty
30:46manoeuvring it.
30:48One of them
30:49had the body
30:50of Deborah Chong.
30:52Gemma had just
30:53murdered her.
30:54It was clearly
30:58something in there
30:59that was very heavy
31:01and she's having
31:01to stop
31:02and then she
31:03phoned someone.
31:05She was struggling
31:05to move it
31:07she had to kick
31:07the wheels
31:08to get it to move.
31:10She then tries
31:11to get a taxi
31:11at one point.
31:13The other suitcase
31:14she's got
31:15in that suitcase
31:16were lots
31:17and lots
31:18of documents
31:18personal documents
31:20belonging to
31:21Deborah.
31:22In this bit
31:26of footage
31:26she's left
31:27one of the
31:27suitcases
31:28on the
31:29edge of the
31:30verge
31:30and she's
31:31dragging up
31:31the other
31:31suitcase
31:32and then she
31:34spends a good
31:34couple of hours
31:35dragging the
31:36suitcase
31:36which had
31:38Deborah's body
31:39in it.
31:39a taxi arrives
31:48the driver
31:49needs help
31:50loading the
31:50heavy case
31:51into the boot
31:52it will be
31:5316 days
31:54before it's
31:54seen again.
31:55Salcombe is a
32:13long way
32:14from anywhere
32:14it finds itself
32:15in the
32:16bottom right
32:17hand corner
32:18of South Devon
32:19it's a very
32:20beautiful place
32:20with lots
32:21of sandy
32:22beaches
32:23and a reputation
32:24for some
32:24really expensive
32:25houses
32:26remember this
32:27was not long
32:28after COVID
32:29as well
32:29this is June
32:302021
32:31where people
32:31would have
32:32been enjoying
32:33their staycations
32:34perhaps unable
32:35to go abroad
32:36and just really
32:37wanting to have
32:38a bit of relaxation
32:39time by the coast
32:41and what better
32:41place to go
32:42than beautiful
32:43Salcombe
32:44it is about
32:45as far as
32:46you can imagine
32:47from the type
32:49of place
32:49where you would
32:50expect to find
32:51a body
32:52this body
33:16looks like
33:17it's been there
33:17some time
33:18because of
33:18the amount
33:19of decomposition
33:20she can see
33:22Gemma Mitchell
33:23had kept
33:24the body
33:24at her house
33:26in London
33:26for two weeks
33:27and most
33:28of the decomposition
33:29would have
33:30occurred there
33:30to cover up
33:41her murder
33:41of Deborah
33:42Chong
33:42Gemma Mitchell
33:43devised
33:44an extraordinary
33:45plan
33:45she hired a car
33:49in a false
33:50name
33:50she left
33:51her phone
33:52at home
33:52so that she
33:53was leaving
33:54no trail
33:55in her mind
33:56of going
33:57to Salcombe
33:58in Devon
33:59which is about
33:59200 miles
34:00from London
34:01so a huge
34:02distance
34:02and she hired
34:05quite a large
34:06car
34:06a Volvo
34:06SUV
34:07detectives
34:10discover
34:11more
34:12CCTV
34:12this time
34:14recording
34:14Gemma Mitchell
34:15near home
34:16loading a suitcase
34:17into the
34:18hire car
34:18she's trying
34:23to lift it up
34:24having a lot
34:24of difficulty
34:25it's clearly
34:26very heavy
34:27with Deborah's
34:28body in
34:28into the
34:29back of the
34:29car
34:30she keys
34:33into the
34:34satnav
34:34Sulcombe
34:35North Sands
34:36Cliff Road
34:37but close
34:41to her
34:41destination
34:42a problem
34:43a flat
34:44tire
34:45she was
34:49helped
34:49by an
34:50AA
34:50technician
34:51at a
34:51garage
34:52a few
34:52miles
34:52outside
34:53Salcombe
34:53and he
34:55noted
34:55how
34:56there was
34:56a smell
34:57in the
34:57car
34:57and how
34:58when he
34:58came
34:58to put
34:59the
34:59spare
34:59wheel
35:00back
35:00in its
35:01normal
35:01place
35:02Gemma
35:02Mitchell
35:03was
35:04deeply
35:04uncomfortable
35:04with that
35:05and asked
35:05him instead
35:06to put
35:06it
35:07on the
35:07back
35:07seat
35:08something
35:08he said
35:09he remembered
35:10thinking
35:10was very
35:11strange
35:11at the
35:12time
35:12but we
35:13can only
35:13assume
35:13that the
35:14reason
35:14Gemma
35:15Mitchell
35:15did not
35:15want
35:16that
35:16wheel
35:17to go
35:17back
35:17in its
35:18rightful
35:18place
35:18was that
35:20the
35:20body
35:20or at least
35:21some parts
35:22of it
35:22were in
35:23the boot
35:24of her
35:24car
35:24next
35:28police
35:28find
35:29CCTV
35:29of
35:30Gemma
35:30Mitchell's
35:30hire
35:31car
35:31heading
35:32towards
35:32the
35:33seafront
35:33and
35:36she
35:37drives
35:37around
35:38a bit
35:38there
35:38and
35:39then
35:39she
35:39makes
35:40a
35:40decision
35:40to
35:41dump
35:42Deborah's
35:42body
35:43in
35:43woodland
35:44about
35:50about
35:5040
35:50minutes
35:50after
35:51she
35:51arrives
35:51her
35:52car
35:52that
35:53she's
35:53using
35:53is
35:53seen
35:54again
35:54leaving
35:55the
35:55area
35:55and
35:56then
35:56she
35:56makes
35:57her
35:57way
35:57back
35:57to
35:57London
35:58but
36:05there
36:05is
36:05an
36:05even
36:06more
36:06gruesome
36:07fact
36:07about
36:07the
36:08discovery
36:08the
36:10head
36:10is
36:10missing
36:11it
36:20took
36:20some
36:21time
36:21and
36:22police
36:22search
36:23to
36:23find
36:24Deborah's
36:24head
36:24some
36:2510
36:25feet
36:25away
36:26from
36:27Deborah's
36:27body
36:28Gemma
36:34Mitchell
36:34was
36:35a
36:35trained
36:35osteopath
36:36and
36:37she
36:37got
36:37a
36:37first
36:38class
36:38honours
36:38degree
36:39at
36:39King's
36:40College
36:40and
36:41as
36:41part
36:42of
36:42her
36:42training
36:43she
36:44learnt
36:44how
36:44to
36:45dissect
36:46human
36:46bodies
36:46this
36:49was
36:49an
36:50idyllic
36:50seaside
36:51place
36:52that
36:52general
36:53crime
36:54doesn't
36:54happen
36:54let alone
36:55murders
36:56let alone
36:56murders
36:57involved
36:57bodies
36:58with
36:59decapitated
36:59heads
37:00when she
37:10murdered
37:10and
37:11dismembered
37:11Deborah
37:12Gemma
37:13Mitchell
37:13suffered
37:13an injury
37:14herself
37:15this
37:16would give
37:16the police
37:17video
37:17more evidence
37:19later in the
37:21evening
37:21this is inside
37:23St Thomas' hospital
37:24and you can see
37:26she's got something
37:27wrapped around
37:28one of her fingers
37:29almost
37:31almost certainly
37:32money in the
37:32in the process of
37:34attacking
37:34killing and subduing
37:36Deborah
37:36she'd broken
37:37her finger
37:37it would have been a
37:39spanner in the
37:39works if you like
37:40so she would have
37:40had to have
37:41thought about
37:42well under what
37:43circumstances could
37:44I have broken
37:44my finger
37:45and she told the
37:46hospital that it's
37:47because she had
37:48shut her finger
37:49in the car door
37:50during the arrest
37:59the bandaging
38:00is still visible
38:01on Gemma
38:02Mitchell's
38:02left hand
38:03it's just
38:16one moment
38:17in an arrest
38:18that points
38:18to Gemma
38:19Mitchell's
38:19guilt
38:20what we see
38:24is the officers
38:24are turning up
38:25with what
38:26is referred to
38:27in the Metropolitan
38:27Police
38:28as an enforcer
38:29essentially
38:31it's like a
38:32battering ram
38:33I think
38:36the decision
38:36to use the enforcer
38:38was because
38:38they wanted to
38:39get hold of the
38:39evidence
38:40before Gemma
38:41Mitchell
38:41could destroy it
38:42Gemma
38:43do you want to
38:43come off
38:44yeah sure
38:44sure
38:45all right
38:45can't just
38:46sew your hands
38:47all right Gemma
38:47as soon as
38:49Gemma Mitchell
38:49comes to the door
38:50she's compliant
38:51she's not in a panic
38:52she's not violent
38:53she's not
38:54obstructing them
38:55in any way
38:56so that allows them
38:57to then engage with her
38:59in terms of why
39:00they are there
39:01all right Gemma
39:02on this moment
39:02I'm resting on the
39:03special of murder
39:04okay
39:04you don't have to say
39:05anything
39:05she physically
39:07she physically
39:07kind of moves back
39:08she's almost surprised
39:10clearly it's all an act
39:11but she is very calm
39:13and a real contrast
39:14to how the police
39:15tried to knock down
39:17the front door
39:18in her house
39:18inside
39:21police discover
39:22the documents
39:23taken away
39:23in the second suitcase
39:25financial records
39:26of Deborah Chong's
39:28£700,000 estate
39:29recently updated
39:31they find
39:34a will
39:35that was forged
39:36by Gemma
39:37and the will
39:38said that
39:3995% of
39:40Deborah's estate
39:41would be left
39:42to Gemma
39:43and 5%
39:44would be left
39:45to Gemma's mother
39:46that will
39:47was forged
39:47after
39:48Gemma
39:49murdered Deborah
39:50so that was
39:51a really significant
39:52piece of information
39:53that they found
39:54at the property
39:54significant
39:57police found
39:58because Gemma
39:59Mitchell
39:59was banking
40:00on money
40:00that Deborah
40:01had offered her
40:02the roof
40:03of Gemma
40:04Mitchell's
40:04house
40:05needed fixing
40:05but she claimed
40:07she was out
40:08of money
40:08Deborah offered
40:11Gemma
40:11around £200,000
40:12to help her
40:14renovate
40:15and finish
40:16the work
40:16on Gemma's
40:17house
40:18at one point
40:19Deborah went
40:19to have a look
40:20at Gemma's house
40:21and it was
40:22a complete tip
40:23it was like
40:24a building site
40:25and it was
40:26that visit
40:26that seemed
40:28to change
40:28her mind
40:29Deborah said
40:30to Gemma
40:30I'm not going
40:32to give you
40:32the money
40:32there was a message
40:34exchanged
40:34between the two
40:35of them
40:36and Deborah
40:37was clearly
40:37telling Gemma
40:38to sell
40:39the house
40:40and that clearly
40:41triggered something
40:42in Gemma
40:43Gemma Mitchell
40:45was determined
40:46to get the money
40:48promised to her
40:49by Deborah
40:50Gemma Mitchell
40:51decided to
40:52hatch a plan
40:53where she would
40:54take that money
40:54anyway
40:55but that would
40:57involve
40:57murdering
40:59Deborah
41:00Deborah Chong
41:03detectives learned
41:04had been
41:05a vulnerable
41:05target
41:06she had a number
41:09of mental health
41:10issues
41:10she was diagnosed
41:11with schizophrenia
41:12she also
41:14was referred to
41:15a local community
41:17mental health centre
41:18and that was because
41:19she was sending
41:20messages to
41:21the then Prince
41:22Charles
41:22she thought
41:24that she could
41:24communicate with him
41:25through YouTube
41:26she was also
41:27sending messages
41:28as well to Boris
41:28Johnson
41:29so she was a
41:31vulnerable woman
41:32who was trusting
41:33of other people
41:34in custody
41:38Gemma Mitchell
41:39is questioned
41:40about driving
41:40Deborah's dead
41:41body to
41:42Sulcombe
41:42and her
41:43strange behaviour
41:44when her car
41:45had to be
41:46fixed
41:46and they've said
41:49that the person
41:51driving the Volvo
41:53waited
41:54in the car
41:55all that time
41:57with the windows
41:59down
41:59and the front door
42:01opened
42:02the passenger door
42:03opened
42:03when it was
42:05literally chucking
42:06it down
42:06with rain
42:07and it was windy
42:08why is that
42:10Gemma?
42:10no comment
42:13the car stank
42:14didn't it
42:14Gemma?
42:16no comment
42:17stank of a dead
42:18person
42:18no comment
42:20stank of
42:21Deborah's
42:21decomposing
42:23body
42:23is that right
42:29Gemma?
42:30no
42:30comment
42:32at the Old Bailey
42:36today
42:37a woman
42:38has been found
42:38guilty of murder
42:40and jailed
42:41for life
42:41serving a minimum
42:42of 34 years
42:44Gemma Mitchell
42:45aged 38
42:46an osteopath
42:48from North West
42:49London
42:49murdered a fellow
42:50churchgoer
42:51and concealed
42:52her body
42:53200 miles away
42:55I covered
42:57the trial
42:57and it was
42:59gruesome
43:00grizzly
43:01details
43:02that were
43:02really horrific
43:03all right Gemma
43:05at this moment
43:05I'm resting
43:06on a suspicion
43:06of murder
43:07okay
43:07you don't have to
43:08say anything
43:08this case was
43:10about the ultimate
43:11betrayal of friendship
43:12and it's not
43:13every day you
43:14see a case like
43:15that at the Old Bailey
43:16you know
43:17one so horrific
43:19where you're
43:20listening to evidence
43:21about a woman
43:21being murdered
43:22and then decapitated
43:24by her friend
43:25stuffed in a suitcase
43:26and then her body
43:27dumped in woodland
43:28back to her
43:39I'm not
43:52alive
43:52I'm not
43:53I'm not
43:53I'm not
43:54I'm not
43:55Transcription by CastingWords
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