United Kingdom police have confirmed the death of Liverpool bodybuilder Akinwale Arobieke, also known as Purple Aki, at the age of 64.
Arobieke was a British man known for his criminal convictions for harassment. He had been convicted of touching and measuring the muscles of young men and asking them to squat with his body weight.
He was found at his home on Devonshire Road in Toxteth, near Princes Park, in what police described as non-suspicious circumstances.
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Merseyside Police said officers were called at about 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 26 August, following reports that a man in his 60s had been found unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner for Liverpool and Wirral has confirmed it has received a file from police.
Mr Arobieke was a well-known figure in Merseyside. In 2003, he was jailed for six years after being convicted of harassing 15 men.
He was described at the time as a “modern-day bogeyman”, though he said in an interview that he was the victim of a “modern-day witch hunt” by police after making complaints against certain officers.
While in prison in 2006, a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) was imposed on him, banning him from touching men’s muscles or visiting gyms. In 2015, he was convicted of breaching the order after touching a young man’s muscles on a train from Manchester to North Wales.
The following year, he successfully appealed part of the SOPO and had the 10-year ban on touching men’s biceps lifted after representing himself in court.
In 2022, Mr Arobieke received a settlement from Greater Manchester Police after suing the Chief Constable for malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office. He claimed he had been unfairly targeted by two officers from 2012 onwards.
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said:
“We can confirm that emergency services were in the Toxteth area following a non-suspicious death last night, Tuesday 26 August.
“At around 8.30 pm, officers were made aware of a man in his 60s being found unresponsive at an address in Devonshire Road, Princes Park. He was sadly pronounced deceased at the scene.
“The man’s death is not suspicious, and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”
