Disgraced former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins died after suffering a fatal stab wound to the neck while serving time in prison, an inquest has confirmed.
The brief hearing at Wakefield Coroner’s Court, presided over by Coroner Oliver Longstaff, revealed Watkins ‘ full name, Ian David Karslake Watkins was officially pronounced dead at HMP Wakefield on the morning of Saturday, 11 October.
Paedophile Rock Star Ian Watkins Killed in Prison Stabbing
A prison officer formally identified the 46-year-old singer. A post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death as an “incision to the neck.”
Emergency services were called to the high-security prison following reports that Watkins had been attacked with a bladed weapon. Despite rapid response efforts, he was declared dead at the scene.
“Following a report he had been stabbed in the neck,” Mr Longstaff explained, paramedics rushed to the facility, but the singer could not be saved.
Watkins’ death marks a violent end to one of the most reviled prisoners in the UK. Once a chart-topping rockstar, his horrific crimes shocked the nation and destroyed his career.
His murder inside one of the country’s most secure prisons raises serious questions about inmate safety and internal violence.
Murder Charges and Ongoing Investigation
As investigations intensified, two men, Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, were charged with his murder. The pair initially appeared before Leeds Magistrates’ Court and have since been remanded in custody following a hearing at Leeds Crown Court.
Neither man entered a plea. Dodsworth joined the proceedings via video link from HMP Wakefield, while Gedel – known in court as Rico Gedel refused a remote appearance, insisting on attending in person.
Judge Guy Kearl, Recorder of Leeds, scheduled a provisional trial date for 5 May, with proceedings expected to last two to three weeks.
Two additional prisoners, aged 23 and 39, were later arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder and are currently being interviewed by police before returning to custody.
Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle, the lead investigator from West Yorkshire Police, said: “Extensive enquiries remain ongoing in relation to the murder of Ian Watkins, and these arrests form part of that.
Ian Watkins’ family are being updated as the investigation progresses. However, we do not anticipate any immediate developments at this stage.”
Due to the active criminal proceedings, the coroner has suspended the inquest until further notice.
A History of Crime and Violence Behind Bars
Watkins, once the face of early 2000s rock band Lostprophets, was sentenced in 2013 to 29 years in prison, with an additional six years on licence, after admitting to a series of harrowing sex crimes.
The most infamous charge involved the attempted rape of an 11-month-old baby. The investigation began when a drugs warrant executed at his Pontypridd home in 2012 led to the seizure of digital devices containing disturbing evidence.
His conviction shocked fans and the public alike, plunging his bandmates into disarray and forever staining the legacy of the group.
Watkins had previously faced violence during his incarceration. In 2023, he was reportedly held hostage by three fellow inmates for six hours. Though he was injured in the incident, his wounds were not life-threatening.
In 2019, he was hauled back to court for possessing a phone inside prison. Speaking about his fellow inmates, Watkins once remarked they were: “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers, the worst of the worst.”
Security Concerns and the End of a Notorious Life
HMP Wakefield, often dubbed “Monster Mansion,” houses some of the UK’s most dangerous offenders. Watkins’ murder raises urgent questions about how such an attack could occur within its walls.
While the full truth behind his death awaits the outcome of the criminal trial, the inquest has confirmed one thing: Ian Watkins’ grim story has come to a violent end.
Further updates are expected as the case progresses through the courts.
