Kentish Express Ashford & District
‘Grinning’ delivery man threw rocks at motorists
Judge warns driver to expect lengthy prison sentence
A “grinning” United Parcel Service delivery driver who threw rocks at motorists while on his rounds is facing a lengthy prison sentence. Glynn Williams was said to “not give a hoot” to the consequences of his actions, carried out simply for fun as he passed oncoming vehicles at speed. Many of the motorists targeted were women, some accompanied by their young children. Two drivers were injured by the hefty, hand-sized missiles, with one mum hit in the face. A court heard the rocks shattered glass or left dents in bodywork. One victim whose windscreen was smashed thought she had been shot at and searched the road for a bullet. Williams, 37, of North Street, Dartford, was convicted of 15 offences of damaging property being reckless as to whether life was endangered, one of assault causing actual bodily harm and one of common assault. Adjourning sentence for a psychiatric report, Judge Martin Joy said Williams faced a jail term of at least 10 years “These were frightening and very shocking offences, all of them very serious and going to require a deterrent sentence,” he said. “The impact on many victims has been very considerable and it is likely the prison sentence will be in terms of double figures.” Williams was remanded in custody until sentencing, which is expected in about six weeks time. He waved to his mother in the public gallery, telling her “Don’t bother contacting me, have a good life”.
The court heard he was the only UPS driver on the 11 by 11-mile patch covering the villages of Sissinghurst, Goudhurst, Cranbrook, Benenden, Biddenden, Rolvenden and Sandhurst in Kent. Delivery records placed him in the area at the time of all the incidents.
The incidents occurred between January and August 2015, with several on the same day, and the victims specifically identifying a UPS or browncoloured van.
At the start of his trial, prosecutor Alex Rooke said Williams had “a habit for whatever reason” of chucking rocks at vehicles, and did not “give a hoot for the blindingly obvious risk to life and limb”.
He added: “There comes a point when lightning strikes too often in one place. We are looking at a large area, time and time again, when someone drives past a brown van and their window just happens to break.
“This is a circumstantial case but our accusation is that you can be sure that in most, if not all, these incidents the man throwing the rock, the man endangering recklessly the lives of others, it would seem for his own amusement, is Mr Williams.”
Williams was arrested at work but denied being responsible. However, the court heard he bizarrely told police that on 15 occasions he randomly found rocks in his vehicle.
He was cleared of one offence of damaging property being reckless and one of assault causing actual bodily harm. Unanimous guilty verdicts were returned in relation to 13 charges.