Joe Yates
Warning: This article contains discussion of child sex abuse which some readers may find distressing
A former bandmate of the disgraced rockstar Ian Watkins hasn't minced his words as he shared his thoughts on the convicted pedophile's death in prison.
The twisted child sex offender is at the center of a murder investigation after he was attacked in his cell at HMP Wakefield - located a 25-minute drive south of Leeds, a city in northern England - on Saturday morning (October 11).
According to reports online, the assault occurred after inmates were released from their cells, with the 48-year-old suffering catastrophic injuries after allegedly having his throat cut. He was pronounced dead at the scene due to a loss of blood.
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Two men, 25-year-old Rashid Gedel and 43-year-old Samuel Dodsworth, have since been charged with his murder.
A spokesperson for the Prison Service told LADbible Group that they could not comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.
The death of the former Lostprophets singer has reignited painful memories for his former bandmates, with co-founder Lee Gaze breaking his silence after news of the disgraced frontman’s death broke.
In the wake of the killing, Lee Gaze took to social media to address fans reaching out to him.
After one fan offered their condolences on Twitter to Gaze for having to relive the trauma they were subjected to as a result of their links to the wicked musician, Gaze simply replied: "Onwards and upwards."
While he thanked another fan for their 'kind words' as they showed empathy for the bandmates, and not the death of Watkins.
In another post, he assured fans that the band knew nothing of Watkins' perversions.
"Yeh, and that sick c*** obvs knew what he was saying [in relation to a video of the rockstar teasing his bandmates that he likes children - unbeknown to them the truth behind his words]. I can assure you had any of us known he’d never of made it as far as prison," he commented on another post.
Watkins, once a global rockstar who shared stages with the likes of Metallica and Slipknot, became infamous in 2013 after admitting to 13 child sex offences, including conspiring to rape a baby.
He was sentenced to 35 years in prison, with his crimes being described by prosecutors as 'plunging into new depths of depravity'.
On the anniversary of Lostprophets splitting up, Gaze posted back in July this year: "It’s been 13 years since my band ended in the most unimaginable circumstances, and it’s still painful to think about.
"Things could’ve been so different."
Gaze and Watkins had known each other since their teenage years in Rhydyfelin, Pontypridd - a town in south Wales.
They first played together in Fleshbind before forming Lostprophets in 1997, going on to sell millions of records worldwide.
Speaking previously about the band’s reaction to the revelations at the time Watkins had just been incarcerated, Gaze said to BBC Newsbeat: “There was two sets of it [shock] because there were the accusations - which was one thing.
"And then there was the actual, ‘Yeah I did do it' which was a year later. He dragged that out for a year, so we got hit by it twice."
“How could you know? How would you know? Who would disclose such a thing to five people, who between them have eight children? You just wouldn’t because they would be killed on the spot,” he added.
After Watkins’ crimes came to light, the band disbanded and later reformed with a new singer under the name No Devotion.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.