Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins at HMP Wakefield. The 48-year-old, who was serving a 29-year sentence for child sex offences, died after a serious assault on Saturday morning.
West Yorkshire police said officers were called to the prison at 9.39am on 11 October after reports of an attack. Watkins was found with serious injuries and pronounced dead at the scene. A 25-year-old and a 43-year-old man have been taken into custody.
Sources confirmed to the PA news agency that Watkins was attacked with a knife by another inmate. The Prison Service declined to comment while the investigation continues. This is not the first time Watkins has been targeted; he was stabbed in a similar incident at the same prison in 2023.
Watkins was sentenced in 2013 after admitting a string of offences, including the attempted rape of a baby. The judge described his crimes as having “plumbed new depths of depravity”. He was arrested in 2012 after a drugs warrant led to the seizure of computers and devices at his Pontypridd home.
