Two men have appeared in court charged with the murder of Ian Watkins, the former Lostprophets singer and convicted child sexual abuse offender, at HMP Wakefield. Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, were produced separately before Judge Dunne at Leeds Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Watkins, 48, died after being attacked with a knife at the prison on Saturday. He was serving a 29-year sentence, with an additional six years on licence, for a string of offences including the attempted rape of a baby. The charges against Gedel and Dodsworth mean the case will be sent to the crown court as soon as possible.
Both men have been remanded in custody and are expected to appear at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday. HMP Wakefield houses violent and dangerous criminals, and a recent report noted a 72% increase in serious assaults since the last inspection in 2022.
In a separate incident in 2023, Watkins was taken hostage for six hours and stabbed, though those injuries were not life-threatening.
