Journalism of Courage
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death in prison of the former Lostprophets singer and convicted child sex offender Ian Watkins.
The 48-year-old was serving a 29-year sentence at HMP Wakefield, with a further six years on licence, after admitting a string of sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.
He was arrested after the execution of a drugs warrant at his Pontypridd home on 21 September 2012, when a large number of computers, mobile phones and storage devices were seized.
A statement from West Yorkshire police said: “Detectives have launched a murder investigation after the death of a man in HMP Wakefield.
“Officers were called by staff at the prison at 9.39 am this morning (Saturday 11 October) 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.”
He was attacked with a knife by another inmate on Saturday morning, sources confirmed to the PA news agency.
A Prison Service spokesperson said they could not comment while the police investigation was underway.
Watkins was previously stabbed in an incident at the same prison in 2023, suffering non-life-threatening injuries after he was reportedly taken hostage by three other inmates before being freed by prison officers six hours later.
When sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court, the singer was told he was being given an extended sentence – and a judge said his crimes “plumbed new depths of depravity”.
After being caught with a mobile phone behind bars in 2019, he told a court that he was locked up with “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst”.
(With inputs from The Guardian)
