Ian Watkins, the former lead singer of Welsh rock band LOSTPROPHETS, has died at age 48 after a violent assault inside HMP Wakefield, a British maximum-security prison. Watkins was serving a 29-year sentence for a series of child sex offenses when he was fatally attacked by another inmate on the morning of Saturday, October 11.
According to reports from The Sun and confirmed by multiple outlets, Watkins was stabbed in the neck shortly after prisoners were unlocked from their cells. The attacker reportedly slashed his jugular, causing Watkins to bleed out before emergency services could intervene. A source described the scene as “horrific,” with alarms blaring and the prison swiftly locked down.
A source told The Sun: “[Ian] was targeted by another inmate who shanked him in the neck. Guards were nearby and raced to the scene pretty quickly — but there was nothing they could do, and they could not save him. It was a horrific scene, with blood everywhere and alarms and sirens going off. Police and ambulances were called and the whole prison was locked down with all cons confined to their cells.”
West Yorkshire Police responded to the incident at 9:39 a.m. and pronounced Watkins dead at the scene. The Homicide and Major Enquiry Team has launched an investigation, and the prison remains under tight security as inquiries continue.
This is not the first time Watkins faced violence behind bars. In 2023, he was taken hostage and stabbed by fellow inmates, though he survived that ordeal with non-life-threatening injuries.
Watkins’s fall from fame began in 2012 when a drug investigation led police to uncover disturbing evidence on his electronic devices. He was arrested and later convicted in 2013 on 13 counts of child sex offenses, including attempted rape of a child under 13, conspiracy to rape a child, and possession of extreme pornographic images involving children and animals.
Despite initially claiming he was the victim of a malicious campaign and blaming others for accessing his devices, Watkins eventually pleaded guilty to most charges. His arrest and conviction shocked fans and devastated his bandmates, who disbanded LOSTPROPHETS shortly before his guilty plea. They later formed a new group, NO DEVOTION, distancing themselves from Watkins’s crimes.
Watkins’s death has reignited scrutiny over prison safety and the handling of high-profile inmates convicted of sexual offenses. While the Prison Service has acknowledged the incident, officials have declined further comment pending the outcome of the police investigation.
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