One of the men accused of murdering disgraced Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins at HMP Wakefield has refused to attend a court hearing. Rico Gedel, 25, who previously appeared under the name Rashid, was due to appear at Leeds Crown Court alongside Samuel Dodsworth, 43, but declined to participate via videolink.
Tom Storey, KC, prosecuting, told the court that Gedel's non-appearance was due to a refusal on his part to attend by link because he wanted to appear in person. Dodsworth, who appeared from a segregation unit at the prison, wore a grey t-shirt and remained expressionless during the brief five-minute hearing.
Neither suspect entered a plea, and a provisional trial date has been set for May 5 next year, with an estimated duration of two to three weeks. A plea and trial preparation hearing is scheduled for November 12. The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl, KC, remanded both men in custody.
Watkins, 48, was serving 29 years for child sex offences, including the attempted rape of an 11-month-old baby. He was found dead after being seriously assaulted at the maximum-security prison on Saturday. Reports suggest his throat was cut and that he had been living on a general wing, not a sex offender unit.
