Two men have been charged with the murder of former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins, who died following an attack inside Wakefield Prison on Saturday morning.
Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, appeared separately before Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Monday, accused of killing the 48-year-old inmate, BBC reported.
Both men confirmed their names and dates of birth during brief hearings but did not enter pleas.
They were remanded in custody to appear at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday.
Watkins, who was serving a 29-year sentence for multiple child sex offenses, was attacked shortly after 9:30 BST on Oct. 11.
Prison staff and emergency responders attempted to treat him, but he was pronounced dead from his injuries.
The former musician was convicted in 2013 of a series of sexual offenses, including the attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 13, conspiracy to rape a child, and seven counts involving indecent images of children.
He also admitted to possessing an extreme pornographic image depicting a sex act with an animal.
During sentencing, Justice John Royce said the case “broke new ground” and “plunged into new depths of depravity.”
Watkins was serving his sentence at the Category A facility, known for housing some of the U.K.’s most dangerous offenders.
Wakefield Prison, which holds more than 600 inmates, has faced repeated concerns over safety and infrastructure.
A report published last month found that violence among prisoners had “increased markedly” since 2022 and highlighted a “poor state” of facilities, citing “repeated breakdowns of essential equipment” and lapses in security systems.
Watkins had previously survived an attack inside the same prison in 2023, when his injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
Born in Pontypridd, Wales, Watkins rose to prominence as the front man of Lostprophets, a rock band that disbanded following his conviction.
“We can no longer continue making or performing music as Lostprophets,” they wrote in a statement following Watkins’ sentencing, according to The Guardian.
“After nearly a year of coming to terms with our heartache, we finally feel ready to announce publicly what we have thought privately for some time … we look forward to the next phase of our lives [and] we can only hope to be surrounded by people as devoted and inspiring as you guys have been.”
At the time, Des Mannion, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children national head of service for Wales, said, “Watkins used his status and global fame as a means to manipulate people and sexually abuse children.”
“But we must nevertheless remember that this case isn’t about celebrity, it’s about victims. And those victims are children.”
An investigation into Watkins’s death is ongoing, with West Yorkshire Police coordinating with prison authorities.
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