Akinwale Arobieke

Akinwale Arobieke
Born Akinwale Arobieke
July 1961 (age 54)[1][2]
Toxteth, Liverpool, England
Other names Purple Aki
Criminal charge Manslaughter (1988)
Indecent assault (2001)
Indecent assault (2003)
Witness intimidation (2003)
Motive Sexually motivated
Conviction(s) Manslaughter (1988) (overturned on Appeal)
Indecent assault (2001)
Indecent assault (2003)
Witness intimidation (2003)

Akinwale Arobieke (born July 1961),[1][2] known locally in North West England as Purple Aki, is a convicted criminal from Liverpool, United Kingdom. Arobieke is a 6 ft 5 in-tall (196 cm) bodybuilder who weighs 22 stone (140 kg; 310 lb).[3][4] His criminal activities are sexually motivated, a fact which was recognised in 2006 by Liverpool Magistrates' Court, when Merseyside Police successfully applied to them for a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.[5] Arobieke has been described by commentators as having been "failed by the justice and medical systems almost as much as his victims."[6]

Criminal history

On Sunday, 15 June 1986, a 16-year-old from Birkenhead named Gary Kelly[7] was electrocuted at New Brighton railway station, allegedly whilst running away from Arobieke. Arobieke was convicted of manslaughter, but successfully appealed the conviction[8][9] on the grounds that he had not acted unlawfully by "standing on the platform and looking into trains".[10] In addition, Arobieke was awarded £35,000 compensation due to alleged racial overtones in the prosecution case.[11]

He appeared in court on 22 November 2001, pleading not guilty to fifty counts of indecent assault and harassment against fourteen teenage boys between February 1995 and September 2000. He was convicted of threatening behaviour and was jailed for thirty months.[12]

Released in 2003, Arobieke resumed his activities and was quickly arrested and charged with fifteen counts of harassment and sexual assault. During the course of the trial 123 people were interviewed by police, including one family who were forced into the Witness Protection Programme as a result of threats from Arobieke. This led to Arobieke being additionally charged with witness intimidation. On 15 December 2003 he was jailed for six years by Preston Crown Court, pleading guilty to the charges. When sentencing Arobieke, Judge Slinger said: "You are a danger to young men and your behaviour is both strange and obsessive". After the case, Detective Superintendent Mike Dale commented as follows: "Over the years Akinwale Arobieke has been persistent in his pursuit and harassment of a number of young men, instilling fear into them. We are pleased with the sentencing. Most importantly it's to the credit of the witnesses, who despite their fears and apprehensions, have remained steadfast and determined to see justice done and this man prosecuted to stop him from making other people's lives a misery." [13]

Muscle touch ban

Arobieke was released on licence from prison on 26 October 2006. Unusually, Merseyside police applied to Liverpool Magistrates' Court for an interim Sexual Offences Prevention Order against him, although he was never convicted of a sex offence. Under the terms of the order, Arobieke was banned from touching, feeling, or measuring muscles; asking people to do squat exercises in public; entering the towns of St Helens, Warrington, or Widnes, without police permission; and loitering near schools, gyms, or sports clubs.[5] The ban was later overturned as "draconian" [14] but remained in force after a successful appeal by police.[15]

On 25 May 2007 Arobieke approached a man in a shopping centre in Preston and commented upon the size of his biceps before "touching them without permission". He was arrested shortly afterwards, on suspicion of breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order, and remanded in custody.[15]

He was later convicted of breaching this order[16] and jailed for a further 15 months,[17] with the muscle touching ban being made permanent.[17]

Appeal

In July 2008 Arobieke was unsuccessful in trying to overturn the 'muscle touching ban' at one point 'behaving erratically' just before court.[18] During the court case, details of Arobieke's "stalker’s manual" were disclosed; a book Arobieke had compiled that was "full of details about victims' body measurements, contact numbers and families." It was alleged that Arobieke would "do research into his victim, confronting them with such details as their father's car registration number or sibling's place of education."

During the court case, DC Andrew Rowlings told how "Arobieke became sexually aroused while forcing terrified young men to perform "inverted piggybacks" — ordering them to squat so he could lean over their backs with his face by their buttocks and his genitalia on their necks, while squeezing their quad muscles".[3] During the court case Arobieke made an apology to his victims and admitted that he was "infamous, notorious, everything from a bogeyman to whatever."[19]

Current behaviour

In late 2008 Arobieke approached a 17-year-old in Birkenhead and asked to feel his biceps. By doing so he was in breach of the Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) which specifically prohibited him from approaching young men and touching their muscles; he was arrested and convicted for this breach of the SOPO, receiving a sentence of 18 months.[4]

In April 2010, Arobieke appeared in court at Mold, North Wales, charged with further offences.[20] On 24 June 2010, after a jury found him guilty of touching the calf and quadriceps muscles of a 16-year-old boy in Llandudno, North Wales, the judge said that Arobieke was a "sexual predator" and jailed him for two and a half years. The offence was a breach of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order.[21]

In June 2012, Merseyside Police issued a statement denying rumours that Arobieke had died, stating that he remained in prison.[22]

In June 2012, Arobieke was released from prison after serving his 21⁄2-year-long sentence, which he received in June 2010.

In August 2013, he was put on trial at Manchester Crown Court, after being accused of targeting young men in St Peter's Square (Manchester), Trafford, and Bolton,[23] and was found not guilty.[24]

In February 2014, a Greater Manchester Police Professional Standards investigation found evidence to support police misconduct against Arobieke. This related to interactions with an off-duty police officer at body building events in the second half of 2012 (one of which led to arrest) and an October 2013 trial during which Arobieke was found not guilty of breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order. Arobieke claims to have spent almost two years in prison awaiting charges that were either dropped or from which he was acquitted.[9]

On 1 October 2015 Arobieke was once again found guilty of breaching his SOPO, having asked to touch and measure the muscles of a student travelling on the Manchester Piccadilly to Colwyn Bay train on 11 October 2013. Arobieke, representing himself, denied the offence and claimed he was set up by the police because of his notoriety, but was convicted by a unanimous jury. He also complained about the use of the nickname, "Purple Aki", throughout prosecution papers, as he regards it as racist.[2] Arobieke had previously complained on these grounds to the Press Complaints Commission about newspapers use of the nickname.[25]


References

  1. 1 2 R v. Kevin John Underwood, Akinwale Arobiekem Mohammed Iftiyaz and James Connors, Smith Bernal Wordwave Limited (Official Shorthand Writers to the Court) (England and Wales Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) 30 July 2004).
  2. 1 2 3 Yarwood-NW, Sam (1 Oct 2015). "Akinwale Arobieke guilty of breaching muscle touch ban order". North Wales Daily Post. Trinity Mirror. Archived from the original on 2015-10-01. Retrieved 2015-10-01.
  3. 1 2 Aki's 'let me squeeze muscles' appeal - Liverpool Echo.co.uk
  4. 1 2 "Man jailed for muscle-squeezing". BBC News. 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
  5. 1 2 "Man banned from touching muscles". BBC News. 2006-10-23. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  6. ↑ Evans, Tony (29 April 2015). "AKINWALE AROBIEKE: TONY EVANS ON 'PURPLE AKI'". The Anfield Wrap. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
  7. ↑ "none". Wirral Globe. 18 June 1986.
  8. ↑ "Man 'breached muscle-squeeze ban'". BBC News. 28 April 2009. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
  9. 1 2 "Akinwale Arobieke: "Modern-day bogeyman" says I'm the victim of a witch hunt". Liverpool Echo. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
  10. ↑ R v Arobieke [1988], CA
  11. ↑ "6ft 5in giant stalks Rugby super league stars". The People. 16 March 1997.
  12. ↑ Liverpool Daily Post, 23 November 2001.
  13. ↑ "Purple Aki jailed". St Helens Today. 2003-12-18. Archived from the original on 12 January 2004. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  14. ↑ "'Muscle touching' ban overturned". BBC News. 2007-02-23. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
  15. 1 2 "'Muscles man' Aki arrested again". Liverpool Echo. 2007-06-28. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
  16. ↑ "Sex Offender breached court order". Lancashire Evening Post. 2007-11-14. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
  17. 1 2 "Man must stop touching muscles". Liverpool Daily Post. 2008-02-15. Archived from the original on 2009-05-19. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  18. ↑ Muscles pervert "erratic" in court - Liverpool Daily Post.co.uk
  19. ↑ Aki: I’m sorry for my touching of men’s muscles. I know it was wrong - Liverpool Echo.co.uk
  20. ↑ Liverpool Echo, 21 April 2010
  21. ↑ "News - Liverpool Local News - Notorious Liverpool man jailed for touching boy’s muscles". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  22. ↑ "‘Purple Aki’ death rumours unfounded". St Helens Reporter. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
  23. ↑ Hills, Suzannah (1 August 2013). "Bodybuilder who has been jailed three times for squeezing muscles of well-built men 'has been at it again after he asked another victim to do squats in front of him'". Daily Mail.
  24. ↑ Jaleel, Gemma (7 August 2013). "Akinwale Arobieke found not guilty of touching men's muscles". Liverpool Echo.
  25. ↑ "Adjudicated Complaints - Mr Akinwale Arobieke". Press Complaints Commission. 31 March 2008. Archived from the original on 2015-10-01. Retrieved 2015-10-01.
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