Two Men Charged With The Murder Of LOSTPROPHETS' IAN WATKINS

Two men have been charged with the murder of former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins, who was killed inside HMP Wakefield on Saturday, October 11. The 48-year-old, who was serving a 29-year sentence for a string of horrific child sex offense, died after being stabbed in the neck – reportedly having his throat slashed – in what authorities have described as a "serious assault" by fellow inmates.

Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, both inmates at the high-security British prison, appeared separately before Judge Dunne at Leeds Magistrates' Court this morning on October 13. The pair have been remanded in custody and are due to appear in Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday.

A statement from West Yorkshire Police confirmed the charges: "Detectives have charged two men with murder after the death of a prisoner at HMP Wakefield on Saturday. Ian Watkins, 48, was pronounced dead after being seriously assaulted at HMP Wakefield on Saturday morning [11 October]."

According to The Sun, Watkins was attacked shortly after prisoners were released from their cells. The attackers are alleged to have slashed his jugular, leading to fatal blood loss. A source told the newspaper: "It was a horrific scene, with blood everywhere and alarms and sirens going off. Police and ambulances were called and the whole prison was locked down with all cons confined to their cells."

Joanne Mjadzelics, Watkins's former girlfriend and one of the key whistleblowers who exposed his crimes, told the Daily Mail she had long feared such an outcome: "This is a big shock, but I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. I was always waiting for this phone call. He was walking around with a target on his back from the first day he entered the prison."

She added: "I wanted him dead for a long time after everything he did. I am relieved. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my head… This is the second time someone has slashed his throat. I expected it to have happened earlier. He's been in there for almost 13 years."

Watkins previously survived a 2023 attack, during which he was taken hostage by three inmates at the same prison. He suffered non life-threatening injuries in that incident after being held for six hours before prison officers intervened.

Watkins's fall from fame was as swift as it was disturbing. In 2013, he was convicted of 13 child sex offences, including attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 13, conspiring to rape a child, and possession of extreme pornography. The full extent of his crimes only came to light during a separate drug investigation, which uncovered a trove of child abuse material on his computer and phone.

According to The Guardian, investigators discovered over 90 indecent images of children, aged between 2 and 14 years old, in his possession. Six people came forward to report Watkins to authorities before his eventual arrest. A later report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) highlighted failures by law enforcement to act on multiple warnings about the singer.

Despite initially claiming he was the victim of a malicious campaign by a "crazed fan," Watkins later pleaded guilty to numerous charges, though he denied rape. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison, later reduced to a 29-year custodial term.