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infamous rock star Ian Watkins Is stabbed to death But HMP Wakefield,
Guilty pedophile And the former Lostprophets frontman was attacked with a knife by another inmate on Saturday morning, sources confirmed.
Emergency services were dispatched to the prison in West Yorkshire, but Watkins, 48, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 48-year-old, once the singer of a popular alternative rock band that sold millions of albums worldwide, was jailed for 29 years in December 2013 after admitting a series of sexual offenses – including an additional six years on license – including attempting to rape a fan’s child.
Below, we look at his rise to fame in the music world, the horrific crimes that put him behind bars, and his death in prison.
becoming famous in a rock band
Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, Watkins attended Hawthorn High School with his future bandmate Mike Lewis.
His group, the alternative rock band Lostprophets, made its debut in 1997 with Watkins as lead vocalist and released five albums between 2000 and 2010.
Selling millions of albums worldwide, the band scored two top 10 singles in the UK and the number one position in the US alternative charts, along with winning numerous music awards. They released their fifth and their last album, Weapons, in April 2012.
The band would play their final show together in Newport, Wales on 14 November of that year, just a month before Watkins was charged.
criminal investigation
Watkin’s ex-girlfriend, Joan Mazzelix, first reported him to authorities in December 2008 and was interviewed in March 2009. She told officers that she had a message on her mobile phone from Watkins regarding his desire to sexually abuse children.
However, it later emerged that the phone was not investigated “on the grounds that its report was malicious”.
The disgraced rock star was arrested on various drug charges in 2012, after South Wales Police found child abuse images stored on his computer during a search of his home.
The crimes to which he pleaded guilty included the attempted rape of an 11-month-old girl and a disgusting sex abuse video filmed in a London hotel room.
In 2017, four years after he was jailed, the police watchdog revealed that if detectives had properly investigated reports from a series of informants he could have been caught and brought to justice almost four years earlier.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said: “This [the phone] would have been found to contain a message Ian Watkins Sent to Ms Majadzelics on 12 August 2007, it read: ‘Wishlist Rape of 12 year old girl*** Rape of two underage twins.’
“The messages corroborated Ms Mazzelix’s allegations that Watkins had expressed a ‘desire to abuse children.’
conviction and sentence
Watkins originally faced 24 separate charges – all sex crime related. On November 26, 2013, he pleaded guilty to 11 counts – including attempted rape of a fan’s child.
The then 36-year-old made several admissions in a last-minute plea change before his trial at Cardiff Crown Court. The allegations include sexually touching a one-year-old child and encouraging a fan to abuse his own child during a webcam chat.
Watkins was jailed for 29 years in December 2013 and given an additional six years on licence. While awaiting sentencing, prison officials recorded him saying during a telephone call to a friend that the whole thing was “megaloose.”
Described as a committed and determined pedophile, the court heard he had used his power to exploit young fans and persuaded two women to help him satisfy what the judge described as his “insatiable lust”.
Mr Justice Royce said: “I am satisfied that you are a man of deep corrupt influence, you are highly manipulative, you are a sexual predator, you are dangerous.”
In 2014, he appealed against the sentence, arguing that it was “excessive” but it was rejected.
Speaking after his sentencing, former bandmate and childhood friend Mike Lewis said: “I tried to read the judge’s report. I couldn’t even finish it. To think that someone I grew up with, who I’d been friends with all my life, whose mother I knew, and how close our families were – to even imagine that… I find it completely unbelievable that he was capable of doing those things. Obviously he did it, but someone How can…
“I don’t understand it, I’m afraid.”
Result
A report by the IPCC watchdog found that Watkins’ investigation missed several opportunities. They include:
- An alleged victim and her parents were not met by authorities after Ms Mazzelix complained in 2008
- Despite a 2010 Crimestoppers report, and two witness reports that year and in 2012, corroborating Ms. Mazzelix’s account, “progress appears not to have been made”.
- No action was taken in 2011 on Ms Mazzelix’s email complaint to the ACPO inbox that her report was not properly investigated.
life behind bars
In 2019, Watkins faced another trial and was jailed for 10 months in addition to his sentence for child sex offenses after being found guilty of having a mobile phone in prison.
Watkins produced an 8 cm long GT-Star in March 2018 following a strip search at HMP Wakefield.
Watkins claimed that two inmates forced him to hold a phone so they could contact women who sent him fan mail to use as a “revenue source”. In his evidence, the defendant refused to name those people, but said: “You wouldn’t want to mess with them.”
During the hearing, he also claimed that his “life was in danger” and said that his fellow prisoners were “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, child molesters, serial killers – the worst of the worst”.
Watkins was attacked at HMP Wakefield on Saturday 5 August 2023, a source said mirror He was held hostage by three other prisoners.
Prison officials reportedly threw stun grenades into the cell where he was held, eventually freeing him after several hours.
It was reported that he was taken to Leeds General Infirmary after being stabbed in the neck. At the time, police said his injuries were not considered life-threatening.
his death
On Saturday 11 October, Watkins was again attacked with a knife by another inmate and this time he did not survive.
Sources said that the jail was locked down immediately after the incident.
Police is investigating.
A spokesperson for the Prison Service said on Saturday: “We are aware of an incident that occurred this morning at HMP Wakefield. We are unable to comment further while the police investigate.”
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: “At 9.39am this morning, staff at HMP Wakefield called police reporting an assault on a prisoner.
“Emergency services attended and the man was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.
“Detectives from the Homicide and Major Investigation Team are investigating and inquiries are continuing at the scene.”