Paedophile singer Ian Watkins had throat slashed by cell neighbour at HMP Wakefield, court told
Singer targeted by inmate using makeshift knife
Convicted paedophile rock star Ian Watkins was killed in his cell after having the jugular vein in his neck slashed during a frenzied knife attack, a court heard.
Watkins, 48, was set upon by fellow HMP Wakefield inmate, Rico Gedel, who lunged him at with the makeshift knife fitted with a Stanley-type blade.
Stabbing and slashing him three times, the fatal wound was inflicted to his neck, cutting through the jugular vein which caused excessive bleeding.
He lost consciousness minutes later and died on the floor of the landing outside of his cell, despite efforts by staff and paramedics to stem the blood loss and save his life.
Gedel, 25, was Watkins’ neighbour in the Category A prison, but had only been moved there the night before.
He denies murder, but accepts losing control during the fatal 20-second assault, and admits the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Samuel Dodsworth also denies murder. The 44-year-old was handed the knife by Gedel immediately after the attack, but he claims he “played no part in the planning of the attack” and did not know about the weapon until it was handed to him.
The Crown say it was a “joint offence”, with the pair standing trial at Leeds Crown Court this week.
In his opening speech to the jury on the first of the trial, prosecutor Tom Storey KC said: “The prosecution say that at the time of the attack upon him, the intention on the part of these two defendants was that Watkins should be caused – at the very least – really serious harm.
“As such, the prosecution say that the defendants are both guilty of the murder of Ian Watkins.”
A 999 call was made to police at around 9.39am on Saturday, October 11 to reports that a prisoner had been seriously assaulted.
Watkins, a former singer with successful Welsh rock band, Lostprophets, was pronounced dead around half an hour later.
He was serving a lengthy 35-year extended sentence for a string of child-sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.
The sentencing judge at the time told Watkins he had "plunged into new depths of depravity" and had shown little remorse for his sickening crimes.
He was 12 years into his sentence, and had previously been attacked in 2023, although he escaped with minor injuries.
Watkins was also found guilty after a trial of possessing a banned phone in prison in 2019, using it to contact a woman with whom he had previously had a relationship.
The trial of Gedel and Dodsworth, which is expected to last around three weeks, continues.