The man behind the notorious Willy Wonka experience that left children in tears because of its low quality has been exposed as a sex pest. Billy Coull, 36, who made international headlines after footage of his low-budget Glasgow exhibit went viral, has been placed on the sex offenders register for hounding his female victim with a barrage of sexual messages. His lawyer blamed Coull’s action on a decline in his mental health, because of the global attention and ridicule the botched event had attracted.
The £35 a head Willy Wonka experience, held in a Glasgow warehouse in February, promised a day “where dreams come to life” and was promoted with elaborate marketing. However, it was axed within hours and police were called after furious parents complained that their children had been offered half cups of lemonade and small rations of jelly beans, in “little more than an abandoned, empty warehouse”. Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that weeks after his event ended in disaster, Coull began messaging his victim online.
He repeatedly sent explicit pictures and messages to her despite being told to stop. One of the texts stated that Coull was a “wolf” and that she was his “prey”. He was accused of messaging his victim from a fake Facebook account in March.
He continued to message the woman on Snapchat and WhatsApp and used “sexual language”. Coull referred to her as “sexy”, “sugar lips” and “my wee charm”. On July 2, Coull sent a Snapchat saying: “I’.