Ian Watkins, a former musician with a dark past, may have been targeted for not complying with demands for protection money, according to reports.
The 48-year-old Watkins, infamous for his criminal history, was fatally assaulted at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire over the weekend. Despite efforts by prison staff to intervene, Watkins succumbed to his injuries and was declared dead at the scene.
A source revealed to The Mirror that the attack seemed to stem from Watkins’ refusal to pay for protection, stating, “It appears that the motive was related to his non-compliance with monetary demands. The incident occurred shortly after his cell was unlocked, leading to the fatal outcome. Watkins had faced a similar attack in 2023 due to his reluctance to pay for protection.”
The two prisoners being interrogated in connection to Watkins’ death, aged 43 and 25, were apprehended following the discovery of Watkins’ severe injuries on Saturday morning. Reports confirm that Watkins was assaulted with a knife by another inmate, prompting an investigation by the West Yorkshire Police’s homicide and major inquiry team.
Watkins, serving a lengthy sentence for committing heinous sexual crimes against minors, had been housed at HMP Wakefield. His tragic demise follows recent concerns raised about escalating violence towards individuals with similar offenses in the prison facility.
A spokesperson for the Prison Service acknowledged the incident at the prison but refrained from providing further details pending the ongoing police investigation.
The news of Watkins’ death did not elicit sympathy from Jo Mjadzelics, his former girlfriend who exposed his criminal activities. Mjadzelics, who had repeatedly tried to alert authorities about Watkins’ predatory behavior, expressed astonishment that it took so long for retribution to catch up with him.
As a prominent figure in the music industry during his youth, Watkins achieved commercial success with his band Lostprophets. Despite his former fame, his downfall was marked by a series of criminal acts that eventually led to his imprisonment.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.
