How Akinwale Arobieke grew to become an ‘city fable’ as bodybuilder discovered useless at 64

Akinwale Arobieke died earlier this week (26 August) at his residence in Liverpool, however within the years main as much as his loss of life, the 64-year-old grew to become considerably of an ‘city fable’.

The bodybuilder, who was often in comparison with a ‘modern-day bogeyman,’ grew to become a family title when he grew to become the primary particular person within the UK to formally be banned from touching individuals’s muscular tissues in 2006.

Nonetheless, the 6ft 5 health club fanatic had already earned an notorious title for himself within the north west, following a sequence of allegations that finally noticed him locked behind bars in 2003.

Arobieke, who was the topic of a 2016 BBC documentary titled The Man Who Squeezes Muscle tissue, at all times maintained he had been the sufferer of a witch hunt by police and known as out the offensive nickname he grew to become recognized for, branding it a racial slur.

Gary Kelly’s loss of life

Individuals residing within the north west within the Seventies and 80s spoke of rumours a couple of man who would linger round gyms and ask younger males if he might really feel their muscular tissues, however most individuals merely assumed this was a weird city fable.

Nonetheless, Arobieke achieved notoriety in 1986 following the tragic loss of life of Gary Kelly, a 16-year-old-boy who was approached by the bodybuilder.

A court docket heard how the teenager spent 4 months residing in worry after Arobieke stalked him and threatened to kill him. On 15 June of that yr, Kelly and his associates had been swimming in New Brighton after they noticed Arobieke, prompting the teenager to flee to the close by prepare station.

After hiding in a stationary prepare, Kelly jumped onto the tracks after recognizing the person standing watching him on the platform. Tragically, he landed on a dwell rail and was electrocuted, passing away from his accidents. His girlfriend was three months pregnant together with his daughter on the time.

Arobieke was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, nevertheless, the conviction was later overturned following an attraction.

Stalking rugby stars

Round a decade later, a information story was printed a couple of ‘large’ who had allegedly been stalking rugby Tremendous League stars, attacking their properties, vandalising their automobiles and pretending to be a journalist to realize entry into sports activities grounds.

“Prime Rugby League golf equipment had been final night time on full safety alert after a large stalker launched a marketing campaign towards younger gamers,” the Sunday Individuals article stated.

“Strapping stars at Warrington Wolves and Oldham Bears reside in worry of 6ft 5in bodybuilder Akinwale Arobieke.”

Merseyside Police later launched an investigation into Arobieke and heard from witnesses who claimed the bodybuilder would strategy younger males and ‘ask to really feel their muscular tissues,’ in addition to utilizing ‘a tape measure to measure their calves, thighs and chest.’

Banned from touching muscular tissues

In 2001, he was charged with 50 counts of indecent assault and harassment towards 14 teenage boys courting from 1995 to 2000. He pleaded not responsible, nevertheless, was later convicted over a separate accusation of constructing threats to kill. He spent 30 months in jail and was later sentenced to an extra six years after pleading responsible to fifteen counts of harassment.

When he was finally launched from jail in 2006, a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) was put in place, regardless of him by no means having been convicted of any sexual crimes. The order banned him from feeling individuals’s muscular tissues or attending gyms and sports activities golf equipment. He was additionally banned from speaking to anybody below the age of 18 or coming into a faculty with out permission.

He was jailed as soon as once more in 2009 and 2010 for breaching the order and was cleared of breaching the order in 2013, when he was accused of compressing muscular tissues in Bolton, Trafford and Manchester metropolis centre.

Regardless of the lengthy historical past of offences, Arobieke instructed a court docket he had been a sufferer of a modern-day ‘witch hunt’ by police and beforehand stated the general public seen him as ‘notorious, infamous, all the pieces from the bogeyman to no matter.’

In 2015, the SOPO ban was lastly lifted after a choose agreed Arobieke must be allowed a ‘recent begin’ that might permit him to discover uncommon curiosity in muscular tissues in an ‘applicable venue’ like bodybuilding occasions.

Police confirmed earlier this week that Arobieke had been discovered useless at his residence in Toxteth, Liverpool at round 8.30pm on Tuesday (26 August) night.

“The person’s loss of life will not be suspicious and a file will probably be ready for the coroner,” they stated in a press release.