This means that Williams lost the approval of a lot of people as a result of his punishment.
Explanation:
This text means that prior to his punishment Wiliams was likely viewed as a good person by many. He was probably loved by them too. So when he was punished as a result of a wrong act done by him, people lost the love they had for him.
If he occupied a position of authority that was to be respected, he still lost it because of the punishment and the fact that he no longer had the approval of the people.
