The man responsible for the infamously disastrous “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” in Glasgow earlier this year has been registered as a sex offender in Scotland for incessantly harassing a woman with explicit messages and photos.
Anniesland resident William Coull, 36, was convicted in Glasgow Sheriff Court after admitting to repeatedly sending unsolicited messages, including ones describing himself as a “wolf” and the recipient as his “prey,” despite being told to stop, according to a report in the Sunday Times.
Coull began messaging the woman on Facebook using a fake account in late March. He continued through early July over Snapchat and Whatsapp with messages that referred to the recipient as “sexy,” “sugar lips,” and “my wee charm,” eventually sending photos of himself in his underwear and “more intimate images,” the BBC reported.
“I’m the wolf and you are my prey, I will get you,” Coull wrote in a message sent on July 2. He was arrested after the messages were reported to authorities.
Hyperallergic has reached out to the Glasgow Sheriff Court and Coull’s representation through the Public Defence Solicitors Office for more information.
Earlier this year, Coull went viral for organizing a bizarre knock-off Willy Wonka immersive experience featuring AI-generated promotional imagery and lackluster installations in a dreary warehouse. “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” charged £35 (~$44) per ticket and included a melancholy Oompa Loompa and an absurd character called “The Unknown” — both of whom inspired numerous Halloween costumes this past October. The sham event reportedly left children in tears, spawned hilarious memes, and was shut down by police within hours. Props from the event were later auctioned off by a Glasgow record store to benefit Palestinian mutual aid efforts.
Citing a “decline in mental health,” Coull’s defense attorney Neil Stewart told the court that his client’s actions were due in part to the “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” backlash. Coull has been sentenced to 120 hours of work without pay and placed under supervision for a year, the BBC reported.
Stuart Sinclair, who was one of the Willy’s Chocolate Experience ticketholders, told Hyperallergic that Coull’s behavior caused “much upset and hurt to loads of children,” adding that he “needs to face some consequences for his constant terrible actions.”
