Ian Watkins, former lead singer of Welsh rock band Lostprophets, has died at the age of 48 following an attack at HMP Wakefield, a high-security prison in West Yorkshire.
Watkins was serving a 29-year sentence for a series of serious sexual offences, including crimes involving children. He was also subject to an additional six years on licence. His conviction in 2013 shocked the music world and the public, with law enforcement at the time describing him as a “committed, organised paedophile.”
According to Sky News, Watkins was attacked by another inmate on Saturday morning with a bladed weapon. West Yorkshire Police confirmed that officers from the Homicide and Major Inquiry Team are leading an investigation after prison staff reported the assault. Watkins was pronounced dead at the scene.
The prison was placed on lockdown immediately following the incident. A spokesperson for the Prison Service said they could not comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.
This was not the first time Watkins had been targeted while in custody. In 2023, he sustained non life-threatening injuries during a separate incident in which he was reportedly held hostage by other inmates for several hours before being rescued by prison staff.
Watkins was arrested in 2012 after police executed a drug warrant at his home in Pontypridd, South Wales. During the search, authorities seized a large number of digital devices containing disturbing content, including child sexual abuse material he had both collected and created.
Following his conviction, Lostprophets disbanded and his former bandmates publicly condemned his actions.
