The name Akinwale Arobieke may not ring a bell, but mention his moniker 'Purple Aki' in the North West of England, and a shiver of recognition is almost guaranteed. This is the story of how one man's bizarre fixation became the stuff of local nightmare and nationwide notoriety.
The Man, The Myth, The Muscle
Arobieke, a bodybuilder of considerable size and strength, became infamous not for his athletic prowess, but for his sinister and compulsive behaviour. His primary obsession centred on approaching young men, almost exclusively teenagers and those in their early twenties, with a single, strange request: to feel their muscles.
His method was often the same. He would strike up a conversation, compliment their physique, and then ask them to perform a squat so he could feel the muscle contraction in their thighs. This bizarre ritual, a violation of personal space and safety, left a trail of intimidated and frightened victims across Merseyside, Greater Manchester, and Cheshire throughout the 1980s and beyond.
The Birth of an Urban Legend
His nickname, 'Purple Aki', is believed to be a derivation of his name, Akinwale, combined with a reference to his dark skin tone. The name became a staple of playground gossip and teenage warning. Parents would tell their children to beware of the large man who wanted to touch muscles.
Whispers and rumours amplified his legend, attributing superhuman strength and sinister motives to his actions. He became a folk devil—a real-life bogeyman used to scare youngsters into behaving. The truth, however, was disturbing enough without the embellishment.
A Lengthy Reign of Terror and Legal Reckoning
Arobieke's behaviour eventually led to the law catching up with him. His actions were not just odd; they were criminal. In 1986, he was convicted of 17 charges of intimidation and threatening behaviour. However, his notoriety reached its peak with a more serious conviction.
In a tragic incident in 2003, 16-year-old Gareth Myatt died while being restrained by custody officers at a secure training centre. It was revealed during the inquest that the officers were using techniques allegedly favoured by Arobieke to measure muscles. This connection further cemented his sinister reputation in the public consciousness.
This link contributed to Arobieke receiving a life sentence in 2006 for 16 counts of harassment and a charge of witness intimidation. The court also imposed a highly unusual lifelong restraining order, prohibiting him from touching any male's muscles anywhere in the UK without their written consent and from asking any male to do squats.
A Legacy of Fear and Fascination
Even after his release and subsequent re-offences, the legend of Purple Aki endures. His case remains a shocking example of how a single individual can impact the collective psyche of a region. He is a figure forever tangled in a web of crime, tragedy, and the dark power of urban mythology.
His story serves as a grim reminder of a very real and unsettling chapter in the North West's history, where fact and folklore became terrifyingly intertwined.
