Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins, 48, was stabbed in the neck in high security HMP Wakefield prison, and Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, both inmates at HMP Wakefield, were arrested after the death
A man has pleaded ‘not guilty’ to murdering paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins.
Balding Samuel Dodsworth, 43, an inmate at HMP Wakefield, appeared at Leeds crown court via a video link for the plea and case management hearing.
He appeared wearing a grey sweatshirt and sat with his arms crossed as he pleaded not guilty to murder and not guilty to possession of a ‘makeshift knife’ in a prison.
A second accused, Rico Gedel, 25, did not appear via video link and has made an application to appear in court next in person and not by video link.
The Recorder of Leeds, His Honour Judge Guy Kearl KC, set a provisional trial date of May 5th for the pair. The trial is expected to last four weeks.
Depraved Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins, 48, was stabbed in the neck in high security HMP Wakefield prison last month, an inquest opening into his death heard recently.
Disgraced rock star Watkins, who was serving a 29-year jail sentence at HMP Wakefield for child sex offences, was set upon last month.
He had been jailed in December 2013 with a further six years on licence, after admitting a string of sex offences – including the attempted rape of a fan’s baby.
The twisted singer was arrested following the execution of a drugs warrant at his Pontypridd home in September 2012. A large number of computers, mobile phones and storage devices were seized. Analysis of the equipment uncovered Watkins’ depraved behaviour.
Watkins was previously taken to hospital after being attacked in 2023. At the time, police said his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
In 2019, he was jailed for 10 months on top of the sentence he was serving for child sex offences after he was found guilty of possessing a mobile phone in prison. Area coroner, Mr Oliver Longstaff, opening the inquest into his death at Wakefield last month, said: “Ian David Karslake Watkins was born on 30th July 1977 in Wales.
“He was a single gentleman at the time of his death, a serving prisoner at HMP Wakefield where Mr Watkins was pronounced deceased on the 11th October 2025 by an attending doctor.”
A forensic post mortem a day after his death was carried out by Dr Rob Ainsworth which “gave a provisional cause of death for Mr Watkins”.
“By way of circumstances of Mr Watkins death, giving rise to the need for an inquest to be held into it, it appears that Ian Watkins was pronounced deceased by paramedics who attended HMP Wakefield where he was serving prisoner, following a report he had been stabbed in the neck.
“A forensic post mortem has given a provisional cause of death for him of IA incision wound to the neck. Other prisoners have been charged with Mr Watkins murder.
“Clearly a death occurring in those circumstances being an unnatural death in state detention requires an inquest to be held into it…”
But he said it must be adjourned and suspended if someone has been arrested for murder and he said two people had been charged. The coroner said the inquest was opened and adjourned pending the outcome of the ‘criminal justice justice process.’
Man corrupted by fame, drugs and power
Watkins was once one of Wales’ most recognisable musicians – the frontman of the rock band Lostprophets. The band was formed in Pontypridd in 1997 and they went on to sell millions of albums around the world.
The band was disbanded after the paedophile singer from Pontypridd was convicted in December 2013 for a string of child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.
At his trial prosecutors described Watkins as a man corrupted by fame, drugs and power who committed crimes ‘beyond imaginations’.
Watkins was sentenced to 29 years in prison with a further six years on licence, and his two female co-defendants were jailed for 14 and 17 years.
The attack at Wakefield Prison came two weeks after a report was published that found violence there had “increased markedly”. The report from the chief inspector of prisons said: “Many prisoners told us they felt unsafe, particularly older men convicted of sexual offences who increasingly shared the prison with a growing cohort of younger prisoners.”
The singer had previously been attacked at the same prison in August 2023, when he was reportedly taken hostage and stabbed by fellow inmates before being freed by officers six hours later. He had non-life-threatening injuries.
‘New depths of depravity’
During Watkins sentencing, Mr Justice Royce said the case broke “new ground” and “plunged into new depths of depravity”.
“Any decent person… will experience shock, revulsion and incredulity.” He said Watkins had a “corrupting influence”, and had shown a “complete lack of remorse”.
Watkins admitted the attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 13 but pleaded not guilty to rape.
He also admitted conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven involving taking, making or possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a sex act on an animal.
His trial heard Watkins had used his fame to manipulate and control others, often under the influence of hard drugs, including crystal meth.
After Watkins was sentenced, Des Mannion, NSPCC national head of service for Wales, said: “Watkins used his status and global fame as a means to manipulate people and sexually abuse children.
“But we must nevertheless remember that this case isn’t about celebrity, it’s about victims. And those victims are children.”
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