Appeal over 'muscle squeeze' ban

Akinwale Arobieke "became a local celebrity"

A man banned from squeezing people's muscles and asking them to do squat thrusts has launched an appeal to overturn the court order.

Akinwale Arobieke, 46, known as Purple Aki in his home city of Liverpool, was jailed for six years in 2003 for 16 counts of harassment.

When he was released in 2006, he was given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order by magistrates.

He is challenging the order at a civil court hearing at Liverpool Crown Court.

Mr Arobieke has been known to police for years because of what he admits was an "unusual interest in muscles" but has never been convicted of a sex assault.

He believes the magistrates made the order illegally and its terms were too punitive.

'Stalker's manual'

Kendrick Horne, on behalf of Merseyside Police, told the court Mr Arobieke kept what he described as a "stalker's manual" containing details of young men he became fascinated with.

He said during a search of his house, police had found "copious hand-written notes in relation to other young males around the country including body part measurements and an address book (referred to as the 'stalker's manual') with an index of contact numbers including previous and ongoing victims, electoral roll numbers and victims' personal details."

Mr Horne said: "The appellant would repeatedly approach boys and young men who did weight training or played rugby.

"Before some encounters, the appellant would do research into his victim, confronting them with such details as their father's car registration number or sibling's place of education.

"He would talk to complainants about their muscles.

Mr Arobieke's barrister Rob Wynn-Jones You knew his reputation as Purple Aki

"Then he would take them, often by car, to secluded locations.

"There he would feel their muscles, make them do squat thrusts and jump on their backs."

The court heard from a bodybuilding champion who said Mr Arobieke felt and prodded his muscles over three years.

He said the attention culminated in 1996 when on holiday in Tenerife, Mr Arobieke stabbed him, for which he needed hospital treatment.

Mr Arobieke's barrister Rob Wynn-Jones denied the accusations, saying they were prompted by a fall-out the bodybuilder had with Mr Arobieke's brother.

He said: "You knew his reputation as Purple Aki and the stories that were going around."

Such is his reputation as Purple Aki that at last weekend's Glastonbury festival a huge purple flag could be seen featuring Arobieke's police mug shot and a defamatory allegation.

Mr Wynn-Jones said: "He became a local celebrity, infamous among younger members of the community."