Khaberni - Ian Watkins, the former singer of the British rock band Lostprophets, was killed in his cell at Wakefield Prison in West Yorkshire after being slaughtered by a fellow inmate this morning, in an incident described as "shocking even by prison standards".
Watkins, aged 48, had been serving a 35-year sentence since 2013, after being convicted of 13 counts of sexual assaults against children, according to reports in the "Mirror".
He was described in court at the time as a "depraved individual who deliberately harms children", in one of the most revolting cases in the history of British criminal law.
Media reports stated that the attacking inmate used a sharp knife known in prisons as a “shank”, where he ambushed Watkins as soon as the cells were opened in the morning, and slaughtered him from the neck, causing severe bleeding that led to his death despite rescue attempts by the guards and medics who rushed to the scene.
Sources confirmed that the attack was "coordinated and premeditated", given the nature of Watkins' crimes and his fame among the prisoners.
The West Yorkshire Police indicated that "the major crimes and homicide investigation team has commenced investigations at the site", while the British Prison Service announced that it was "aware of the incident" without providing further details pending the conclusion of the investigations.
Watkins was transferred to the hospital after the incident, but he died from his injuries due to significant blood loss, while a complete lockdown was imposed on the prison following the incident, which witnesses described as "horrific" and "bloody".
It is notable that this was not the first time Watkins had been attacked inside a prison; in 2023, he was stabbed by three other inmates, nearly losing his life after being held hostage for several hours.
It is worth mentioning that Ian Watkins was the lead singer and co-founder of the rock band Lostprophets, which became famous in the 1990s, before collapsing entirely after his heinous crimes were exposed.
