Creator of infamous Willy Wonka experience added to sex offenders list

19 November 2024, 15:01 | Updated: 19 November 2024, 15:11

The man behind the disastrous Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow has been added to the sex offenders register after bombarding a woman with explicit pictures.

The event 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".

Now, the organiser Billy Coull, 36, has been found guilty of abusive behaviour after repeatedly sending the messages referring to himself as a “wolf” and the woman as his “prey”.

He admitted the offence at Glasgow Sheriff Court, saying the Willy Wonka backlash had taken a toll on his mental health.

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.

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With Coull at the helm, House of Illuminati put together the event at the Box Hub in Whiteinch, Glasgow.

The experience was described as a "paradise of sweet treats" with an "enchanted garden containing giant sweets and mysterious sculptures" and was advertised with whimsical and bright AI-generated images.

It also promised live performances and an “immersive adventure” for attendees, including a “twilight tunnel” and “imagination lab” where "the boundaries between reality and fantasy harmoniously merge".

Police Scotland were even called to the event, where they said “advice was given”.

It has since spawned a Channel Five documentary and a musical version.

Many who had expected a sweet Roald Dahl-inspired event were left furious, describing the experience as a “waste of money”.

The event went viral online, with the event ridiculed thousands of times.

Actors who were hired to play characters as part of the show have since spoken out, revealing they were left "humiliated".