The individual behind Glasgow’s notorious Wonka experience has been registered as a sex offender for harassing a woman with unsolicited sexual messages and explicit images.
Billy Coull, aged 36, became a subject of widespread media coverage earlier this year as his Willy’s Chocolate Experience went viral for regrettable reasons.
He has since confessed to exhibiting abusive behavior shortly after the incident, informing Glasgow Sheriff Court that the backlash from the unfortunate event adversely affected his mental well-being.
The court was informed he began reaching out to a woman on Facebook using a fictitious name in March. The conversations, which later transitioned to Snapchat and WhatsApp, saw Coull referring to himself as a ‘wolf’ and the woman as his ‘prey’.
In addition to the unwanted texts, he inundated her with selfies while in his underwear and other personal images that she “did not solicit nor desire.”
Prosecutor Iain Mathieson stated: ‘Coull sent a Snapchat of himself holding his belt, accompanied by the message, “Do you want me to do more?”
‘He subsequently sent a picture of himself in his underwear with the message “Do you want me to go further?”’
Following the ruling that his conduct contained a ‘significant sexual element,’ Coull was registered on the sex offenders list for one year.
Additionally, he was mandated to undertake 120 hours of community service and placed under 12 months of supervision, as reported by STV.
His attorney, Neil Stewart, explained to the court that the former charity worker’s mental health had ‘declined’ in the wake of his disastrous Wonka event.
He remarked: ‘He has experienced distress due to the proceedings and vows never to engage in such behavior again.’
According to Willy’s Chocolate website, the event was marketed as ‘a whimsical location where chocolate dreams come to life,’ featuring ‘a journey filled with wondrous creations and enchanting surprises at every corner!’.
The event was supposed to feature ‘an enchanted garden with colossal candies, vivid blooms, intriguing sculptures, and magical surprises,’ along with ‘mind-expanding projections, optical wonders, and exhibits that whisk you away into a world of creativity.’
Instead, attendees who paid £35 per ticket encountered an ‘abandoned and empty warehouse’ littered with subpar props and performers reciting lines from an AI-generated script.
In sentencing Coull, Sheriff Mark Maguire stated: ‘[The victim] requested that you cease, yet you persisted and sent additional messages of an intimidating nature.
‘She explicitly asked you to stop using sexual language, yet you continued to send intimate images and alarming messages.’
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