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Delivery driver Glynn Williams facing 10 years behind bars after rock throwing campaign

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 struck in the face.

Jennie Ivinson was badly cut after a rock attack
Jennie Ivinson was badly cut after a rock attack

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, 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 warned he was considering 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 to take place in about six weeks time. He waved to his mother sitting in the public gallery, telling her 'Don't bother contacting me, have a good life'.

Jennie Ivinson's smashed windscreen
Jennie Ivinson's smashed windscreen

The court heard he was the only UPS driver responsible for the 11x11 mile patch covering the villages of Sissinghurst, Goudhurst, Cranbrook, Benenden, Biddenden, Rolvenden and Sandhurst in Kent.

Delivery records placed him dropping off parcels in the area at the time.

The incidents occurred between January and August 2015, with several on the same day and the victims specifically identifying a UPS or brown-coloured 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."

"The impact on many victims has been very considerable and it is likely the prison sentence will be in terms of double figures" - Judge Martin Joy

Williams, of North Street, Dartford, was arrested at work but denied being responsible. However, the court heard he bizarrely told police that on 15 occasions he randomly found rock 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.

Several victims gave evidence to the court about how their vehicles were hit.

A missile smashed through Grace Rowson's Toyota Yaris, forcing her to pull over and look for what she thought was a bullet, on April 7, 2015.

Mrs Rowson had just driven past Benenden Hospital on her way to Headcorn when she saw an oncoming brown-coloured van.

She told the jury she could clearly see the driver grinning.

"He looked quite cocky. I thought he was going to hit me, crash into me. But instead, as he came near me, there was this popping noise and I genuinely felt, and believed, I had been shot at," said Mrs Rowson.

"I stopped immediately. There was a hole in my windscreen at face level. I got out the car to see if anything was on the road but I didn't see anything. I was looking for some big stone, or bullet even."

Another motorist, Mira Martin, was showered in glass when a missile smashed her Toyota Aygo windscreen as she drove through Goudhurst on her way to work at about 8.30am on July 1, 2015.

Jennie Ivinson was struck in the face as she drove with her two young children in her Vauxhall Zafira towards Sissinghurst just before 1.30pm on August 18.

The rock that landed in Jennie Ivinson's car
The rock that landed in Jennie Ivinson's car

The missile, described as 'a throwable chunk', was later found on the rear passenger seat. Ms Ivinson suffered a black eye with cuts and bruising to her cheekbone.

One of the first victims was GP Sarah Benson, whose VW Passat was hit as she drove with her five-year-old son through Cranbrook at about 3.50pm on January 23, 2015.

She told the jury she saw the van driver make a hard throw out of his side window and then heard a loud bang as the object hit her car.

"It hit the bonnet and left a big dent and two deep scratches. I was shocked, completely taken by surprise," Dr Benson said.

Just an hour earlier he had claimed his first victim by throwing a rock at mother Justine Skeet as she drove her Lexus through nearby Goudhurst.

One family were on their way to catch a flight from Gatwick airport when their car was struck in Benenden. Twelve out of the 15 cars he hit were being driven by women.

The vehicles damaged were a Lexus, VW Passat, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Yaris, Vauxhall Mokka, Toypta Aygo, Audi A1, Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Tigra, Vauxhall Zafira, VW Up, VW Golf, Citroen Picasso, VW Polo and Volvo V70.

The damage caused to Nicola Waite's VW Golf
The damage caused to Nicola Waite's VW Golf

Only the Volvo was parked and driverless when Williams threw a rock at it.

The second injured driver was Adam Rogers, who was driving his Vauxhall Tigra on July 22. Mr Rogers suffered a cut to his hand.

Williams, who did not give evidence, has previous convictions for assaulting police and possessing cannabis.

PC Lee Oakley, leading the investigator, said: "One victim reported that Williams appeared to be grinning after hurling a rock through her windscreen and we will probably never know what compelled him to commit these offences.

"His reckless actions have not only risked the lives of other motorists, but also endangered children who were sometimes travelling in the vehicles he targeted.

"One driver suffered extensive injuries to her face which took three weeks for the swelling to go down. He has also caused a total of more than £5,000 in damage.

"It is no exaggeration to say that someone could quite easily have been killed as a result of Williams’ thoughtless crimes.

Judge Martin Joy
Judge Martin Joy

"I would now like to thanks the many victims and witnesses who have provided us with the evidence required, ensuring justice has been served."

Natalie Smith, from the CPS, said: “There is clearly a danger to people’s lives when rocks are thrown at their cars from a moving van whilst they are driving in their cars.

"This defendant had rocks in his van in preparation and threw them at passing cars in country lanes at motorists, as they passed his delivery van, for no apparent reason.

"He suggested in interview that the people in the local area “had it in for him” which is why he believed he had been put forward as the person responsible.

"The jury rejected that suggestion in finding him guilty.

“This was essentially a data led prosecution for us, as we were able to look at the evidence of where the defendant was dropping off parcels on a particular day, because people would sign for them electronically.

"We were then able to say that he was in the area at the time of all these attacks.”

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