A man accused of murdering former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins told a court he said “this is what paedophiles deserve” before slashing the convicted child sex offender’s throat in prison. Rico Gedel, 25, is on trial at Leeds Crown Court for the murder of Watkins, who died after being attacked in his cell at HMP Wakefield on 11 October 2025.
Prosecutor Tom Storey KC, in his closing speech, told jurors that Watkins had “done nothing whatsoever to provoke this attack”. He said: “However heinous his crimes were, that did not justify his killing in any way.” Gedel, who shared a wing with sex offenders, said he chose Watkins largely due to “proximity” after being moved next to him the night before.
Mr Storey said bodyworn camera footage showed Gedel telling a prison officer he “thought he was the best one” when asked why he targeted Watkins. The court heard Gedel grinned and laughed after the stabbing, asking officers to “let me know when he dies”. The prosecutor added that Gedel’s claim he told Watkins “this is what paedophiles deserve” was “as clear an indication of his underlying motive as you could hope for”.
Gedel and fellow inmate Samuel Dodsworth, 44, both deny murder and possessing a knife in prison. Mr Storey said CCTV showed Dodsworth walking towards Gedel after the attack “as if he knew what he was doing”, contradicting Dodsworth’s claim he was surprised. The judge, Mr Justice Hilliard, reminded jurors that Watkins “clearly should not have lost his life in prison” and urged them to decide the case without sympathy or prejudice.
