Creator of infamous Willy Wonka experience charged with rape
26 November 2024, 16:39 | Updated: 26 November 2024, 16:49
The man behind the disastrous Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow has been charged with rape.
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William Coull, 36, was also charged with a separate allegation of sexual assault at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
Coull, of Knightswood, made no plea to either charge during the hearing and was granted bail.
No date was set for his future court appearance.
It comes after Coull was added to the sex offenders register after bombarding a woman with explicit pictures, it was reported last week.
He was found guilty of abusive behaviour after repeatedly sending the messages referring to himself as a “wolf” and the woman as his “prey”.
Coull admitted the offence at Glasgow Sheriff Court, saying the Willy Wonka backlash had taken a toll on his mental health.
The experience went viral on social media after duped parents were forced to shell out £35 for tickets for the "immersive" experience that was branded a "sh**show".
Willa Wonka event aftermath seen in Glasgow
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard the former charity worker messaged the woman from a Facebook account under a fake name.
He continued to message her on Snapchat and WhatsApp and repeatedly referred to her as “sexy,” “sugar lips” and “my wee charm” despite her asking him to stop.
Coull then began sending her images of himself in his underwear as well as more intimate images.
In court, he admitted the offence saying his mental health had "declined" due to backlash from the Willy Wonka event.
One message read: "I'm the wolf and you are my prey, I will get you.”
Coull, of Anniesland, Glasgow, was arrested after the messages were reported to police.
Sentencing Coull, Sheriff Mark Maguire said: "She told you to stop and you failed to desist and sent further messages of a menacing nature.
"She told you to desist from using sexual language but despite this, you sent intimate images and messages of an alarming character.”
The judge said the custodial threshold had been passed but he was able to impose an alternative to custody.
He was put on the sex offenders register for a year, given 120 hours of unpaid work and put under supervision for a year.
