Former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins has died after being stabbed in his prison cell by another inmate.
The disgraced singer was serving a 35-year sentence after being convicted of 13 child sexual offences in 2013, with charges including conspiring to rape an 11-month-old baby and three counts of sexual assault involving children.
Watkins, who previously pleaded guilty, is said to have had his throat slashed after prisoners were unlocked from their cells at Wakefield Prison in West Yorkshire this morning.
Police and medics rushed to the scene and tried to save the 48-year-old but were unable to. He died from blood loss.
Justice sources claim that Watkins’ attacker has been identified.
‘Watkins has been killed in the most brutal way possible—and the attack was shocking, even by prison standards,’ said a source, as per The Sun,
‘He was targeted by another inmate who shanked him in the neck.
‘Guards were nearby and raced to the scene pretty quickly—but there was nothing they could do, and they could not save him.’
They went on to describe the incident as ‘horrific’ with ‘blood everywhere and alarms and sirens going off’.
At this point, the whole prison was ‘locked down’, with Watkins ‘airlifted to hospital’.
The insider added that he had already been ‘attacked a few times inside Wakefield over the last few years’, believing the stabbing to have been ‘pre-planned’ due to the high-profile nature of Watkins and his crimes.
‘The inmate who attacked him used a “shank” knife, and he was apprehended pretty quickly.
‘There was not much doubt about who had done it.’
Following initial reports, a Prison Service spokesperson told Metro: ‘We are aware of an incident at HMP Wakefield which took place this morning.
‘We are unable to comment further while the police investigate.’
West Yorkshire Police further confirmed that the incident occurred at 9:39am, adding that ‘detectives from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team are investigating, and enquiries remain ongoing at the scene’.
In 2023, Watkins had been left ‘fighting for his life’ after being stabbed repeatedly. He was rushed to hospital after officers found him, six hours after being taken hostage by three other inmates.
Watkins was first arrested following the execution of a drugs warrant at his Pontypridd home on September 21, 2012, when a large number of computers, mobile phones, and storage devices were seized.
Analysis of the equipment uncovered Watkins’ depraved behaviour.
He began serving 29 years of jail time in December 2013, with a further six years given on licence after he admitted to a string of horrific offences.
Ahead of the conclusion of his trial, Welsh rock band Lostprophets, which was founded in 1997 by Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze, cancelled all their shows and disbanded.
Speaking in March this year, co-founder Gaze, 50, addressed the way the band ended for the first time, calling them the ‘most unimaginable circumstances’ that are ‘still painful to think about’.
‘Things could’ve been so different,’ he added online.
‘I don’t talk about it much, but I put everything into that band, and it should’ve lasted a lifetime. I never really wronged anyone my whole life, so it seemed like the ultimate punishment.’
The group had a big cult following, with Watkins using his status in the band to prey on fans, with two offering up their babies to be abused.
In court, the ex-musician was described as ‘a determined and committed paedophile’, and Lord Justice Christopher Pitchford said his acts were ‘shocking’.
Watkins also had two co-defendants, who were fans of his and mothers of his victims. They received sentences of 14 and 17 years.
In 2014, Watkins was refused the right to appeal against his 35-year sentence. Lord Justice Pitchford said: ‘These were offences against infant children of such shocking depravity that a very lengthy sentence of imprisonment was demanded.
‘It is not demonstrated the total sentence of 29 years together with the extended licence period was arguably manifestly excessive. Accordingly, the application in his case is refused.’
A further 10 months were added to his sentence in 2019 after he was caught in possession of a banned mobile phone. An ex-girlfriend tipped off the jail.
Watkins claimed two inmates forced him to keep hold of the phone so they could contact women who sent him fan mail to use them as a ‘revenue stream’.
In his evidence, the defendant refused to name the men but said: ‘You would not want to mess with them.’
He also said his fellow inmates were ‘murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, [and] serial killers—the worst of the worst’.
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