Man who became ‘urban myth’ after muscle-touching ban dies
A man who became an "urban myth" after he was banned from touching people’s muscles has died.
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Akinwale Arobieke, from Liverpool, was made subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order in 2006 – which banned him from touching, feeling or measuring muscles or asking people to do squat exercises in public.
The order came after he was jailed in 2003 on 15 counts of harassment for pursuing young people with requests such as asking to feel their muscles.
When he stood trial in 2009 for breaching that order, the jury was told Mr Arobieke’s reputation had spread across the north west of England, where he was considered by many to be an urban myth.
The order was lifted in 2016 following an appeal.
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Throughout the 1980s Mr Arobieke was known for approaching young men and asking to touch their muscles.
In 1986, teenager Gary Kelly noticed he was being followed by a tall, muscular man who is said to have asked to touch his muscles.
When he saw Mr Arobieke at New Brighton’s outdoor swimming pool, Mr Kelly ran to New Brighton train station, where he jumped onto the railway tracks and touched a live wire.
He was electrocuted and pronounced dead.
Mr Arobieke was found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for two and a half years, but his conviction was overturned as judges agreed that just because Mr Arobieke was standing on the platform at the time of Mr Kelly's death, this didn't prove that he had physically threatened Mr Kelly.
A spokesman 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 8.30pm, 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."