Two men charged with prison murder of sex offender singer Ian Watkins

Two men have been charged with the murder of convicted sex offender and former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins.

Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, allegedly attacked Watkins on October 11 while all three were incarcerated at the UK's Wakefield Prison. Watkins, who was serving a 29-year jail sentence for child sex offences, died from his injuries the same day.

Gedel and Dodsworth appeared separately at Leeds magistrates' court on Monday, where the judge told Dodsworth "the charge against you means this case has to be sent to the crown court as soon as possible."

Today, October 14, Dodsworth made his appearance in Leeds Crown Court via video from HMP Wakefield. However, the court was told Gedel had refused to attend remotely.

"The reason for Rico Gedel's non-appearance this morning is said to be a refusal on his part to attend on the link," said Prosecutor Tom Storey KC.

"It appears he wanted to attend in person."

No bail applications were made. Their next court appearance is set for November 12, where they are due for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

The Crown Court judge set a provisional date of May 5 for the trial.

Watkins was arrested in 2012 after a drug raid on his Pontypridd home seized a large number of electronic devices and storage items

Watkins was arrested following a drug raid on his home that seized a large number of electronics and storage devices. He pleaded guilty to 13 sex offences in 2013, with most related to rape and pornography of children.

He was issued a 20-year sentence with a further six years on license. Two of the mothers of children he abused, whose names were withheld, were also sentenced to jail for 14 and 17 years respectively.

In 2014, his former Lostprophets bandmates discussed the charges in an interview with the BBC.

"How could you know?" said Guitarist Lee Gaze.

"How would you know? Who would disclose such a thing to five people, who between them have eight children? You just wouldn't because they would be killed on the spot."

Bassist Stuart Richardson added, "Even though I was completely done with him, I hoped it was all a mistake, he was innocent, he had to be. The first time, we knew the band was done. You can't go back from that."

Gaze also spoke of the last time he was around Watkins, during the filming of the video for the final single off of 2012's Weapons, where he describes Watkins as "strangely positive and enthusiastic about everything".

"[He was] talking about the next record and how it's going to do really well and get back on our feet. It goes to show how deluded he was. He is just completely on a different level to everybody, happy and positive and convinced we are going to be successful again."

Watkins was arrested nine days later.

Later that same year, Watkins attempted to appeal the length of his sentence. The court refused his application.

In 2017, Watkins was found to have been grooming a 21-year-old mother from his prison cell. The woman's child was subsequently taken into care when social services learned of her contact with the sex offender.

Ten months were added to Watkins' sentence in 2019 after he was found guilty of posessing a mobile phone in prison. He claimed two inmates forced him to have the phone so they could contact those sending him fan mail and use them as a "revenue stream."

In 2023, Watkins was taken hostage and physically attacked by three fellow inmates, reportedly over a drug debt.

The 2024 book Life Behind Bars In The Monster Mansion by Jonathan Levi and Emma French claimed Watkins "spent thousands on protection" while in prison, as rough justice is "particularly likely" to be "meted out" to paedophiles in jail.

HMP Wakefield is understood to house criminals considered violent and dangerous, with a recent report finding serious assaults at the prison have increased by 72% since its last inspection in 2022.