Irfan William

A predatory postman from Newton Mearns, Renfrewshire, has avoided prison after pleading guilty to stalking three women and sexually assaulting one during his postal rounds in Glasgow's southside. Irfan William, aged 49, exploited his role as a Royal Mail delivery worker to hound his victims with persistent unwanted attention, creepy behaviour, and a forcible assault, spanning from January 2015 to March 2022.

The case came to light at Glasgow Sheriff Court, where William admitted to the charges. Prosecutor Jeremy O’Neill detailed how William targeted one victim after learning she had given evidence in a court case. He repeatedly knocked on her door to make deliveries instead of posting them through the letterbox, and frequented a cafe in Govanhill where she often visited, buying coffee and staring at her intensely. The woman described his actions as 'predatory' and said they contributed to her decision to move house out of fear.

• In another incident, William approached a woman at her home in Battlefield, asking to come in for a cigarette and claiming he had brought lunch. Once inside, he asked intrusive questions about her sex life and marital status, remarking 'You are my distraction' and complimenting her appearance before grabbing her around the stomach, rubbing her arm, and forcefully kissing her cheek despite her attempts to flee.
• A third victim was repeatedly probed about her relationships, with William insisting on knocking to deliver letters that could have been posted. She felt compelled to pretend she had a husband and even enlisted an ex-partner to answer the door to deter him.
• The fourth woman was engaged in conversations about literature, with William commenting on her book purchases and offering to bring books and coffee to discuss them, despite her requests to stop.

Two of the women reported William's behaviour to Royal Mail on separate occasions, but no action was taken until the sexual assault incident prompted police involvement. William, a father of two, was arrested following the final offence. In court, Sheriff Paul Reid imposed a sentence of 180 hours of unpaid work, three years of supervision, and a five-month electronic tagging curfew from 7pm to 7am. A three-year non-harassment order was granted to protect the victims, and William was placed on the sex offenders' register.

The sheriff warned William sternly: 'As far as these matters are concerned, I can advise you that if you appeared before me with a conviction, I would have had no hesitation sending you to prison.' Defence lawyer Douglas McAllister noted that William had lost his job at Amazon following the conviction and expressed sincere regret for the distress caused, particularly to the vulnerable young woman he assaulted. The case highlights failures in internal reporting mechanisms at Royal Mail, as police were only notified after the escalation to physical assault.

Source: Daily Record, 30 May 2023.