Major update on Lostprophets pedophile singer Ian Watkins' death reveals he was stabbed in prison
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Ian Gavan
An inquest in Ian Watkins' death has revealed the singer's cause of death.
Watkins died in prison on October 11 while serving a 29-year sentence for child sex offences including the attempted rape of a baby.
He was the frontman of rock band Lostprophets who at the peak of their popularity opened for the likes of Metallica. The band was known for songs like 'Rooftops', 'Where We Belong', and 'Last Train Home'.
Watkins was jailed for 13 sex offences in 2013 alongside two co-defendants. They were kept anonymous to protect the identities of their children, who they allowed Watkins to abuse. One of the women has already been released, and the other is making a bid for parole.
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Announcing the news that Watkins had been attacked, West Yorkshire Police said in a statement earlier this month: "Detectives have launched a murder investigation after the death of a man in HMP Wakefield. Officers were called by staff at the prison at 9.39am this morning (Saturday October 11) to reports of a serious assault on a prisoner.
"A man aged 48 was found with serious injuries. Despite medical attention he was pronounced dead at the scene. Two men aged 25 and 43 have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently in police custody."
An inquest into Watkins' death has since been held and a coroner ruled that the disgraced singer died after being stabbed in the neck.
The two men who were arrested, 25-year-old Rico Gedel and 43-year-old Samuel Dodsworth, have since been charged with murder and will stand trial in May 2026.
An additional two men, aged 23 and 39, have also been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder in relation to Watkins' slaying.
Per BBC News they are 'in police custody and will be interviewed over the course of [October 21], they will then be bailed and returned to prison while enquiries continue'.
Watkins was being held at HMP Wakefield when he was reportedly attacked, a category A prison in England that houses men that are seen as a serious threat to society.
According to a former inmate at the prison, due to the nature of Watkins' crimes he had always been a 'dead man walking'.
"Watkins was effectively a dead man walking from the moment he arrived in Wakefield," one former inmate said, per The Mirror.
"There is an unwritten rule that you don't ask people what crime they did, but everyone knew that Watkins attempted to rape a baby.
"He had been attacked before and was abused every day. He was a loner, self-centered and remorseless. He had no real friends and spent a lot of time on his own in his room."
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.