Former Lostprophets Singer Ian Watkins Dies in Prison Attack While Serving 29-Year Sentence for Child Sex Crimes

Ian Watkins, the former lead singer of Welsh rock band Lostprophets, has died after being stabbed inside a high-security prison in England. He was 48 years old.

Watkins was serving a 29-year sentence at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire for a series of child sex crimes when he was attacked on the morning of Saturday, October 11.

According to West Yorkshire Police, staff at the prison called emergency services at 9:39 a.m. to report an assault. Paramedics responded quickly, but Watkins was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have arrested two men, ages 25 and 43, in connection with the attack. Both suspects are inmates at the same prison, Billboard reported.

A murder investigation is currently underway. Authorities have not yet released the names of the suspects.

Sources say Watkins was attacked with a knife shortly after prisoners were let out of their cells. Reports from Sky News suggest that his throat was slashed during the incident. Officials have not confirmed this detail publicly.

The Prison Service released a short statement saying they are aware of the incident but will not comment further while police continue their investigation.

Ian Watkins Attacked Multiple Times in Prison

This was not the first time Watkins had been targeted behind bars. In August 2023, he was injured in another attack involving three inmates.

He suffered neck wounds during that incident but survived.

Watkins was sentenced in 2013 after pleading guilty to 13 criminal charges, including the attempted rape of a baby.

The court also found him guilty of sexually assaulting children and possessing indecent images involving children and animals.

According to People, he was described by the sentencing judge as having "plunged into new depths of depravity" and showing a "complete lack of remorse."

His trial shocked the public and sparked outrage across the UK and beyond. Prosecutors said Watkins used his fame, along with drugs, to manipulate and abuse others.

Two women — the mothers of children he abused — were also convicted and sentenced to long prison terms.

Lostprophets, the band Watkins fronted, was formed in 1997 and found major success in the 2000s.

Their 2006 album Liberation Transmission topped the UK charts, and their single "Last Train Home" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart in the US. The band disbanded in 2013, shortly after Watkins' arrest.

Tags

Ian Watkins