Ian Watkins’ ex-girlfriend Jo Mjadzelics revealed she burst into tears after hearing that the former Lostprophets frontman had been killed at HMP Wakefield
Ian Watkins’ ex-girlfriend has revealed she started to cry when she heard he was dead. On Saturday, it was announced that the former Lostprophets frontman had been stabbed to death in jail.
He was serving a 29-year prison sentence for child sex offences. Watkins, aged 48, was attacked with a knife on Saturday morning. Emergency services were sent to HMP Wakefield, but he was pronounced dead on the scene. A Prison Service spokesperson said in a statement: “We are aware of an incident at HMP Wakefield which took place this morning. We are unable to comment further while the police investigate.”
Wakins was jailed in December 2013 with a further six years on license after he admitted a string of sex offences, including the attempted rape of a fan’s baby. Following the news, Jo Mjadzelics, 48, who first told the cops about Watkins’ dark fantasies, said she cried when she heard the news.
She told the Mirror: “I was shocked having the news out of the blue as I would with anyone who’s died.” Jo added: “There were tears, but only because of the shock – not tears for him.” She went on to explain that she was “surprised” it had taken 13 years for Watkins to be killed.
“I was worried sick he’d get out and track me down or something,” she added. A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said yesterday: “At 9.39am this morning (Saturday), police were called by staff at HMP Wakefield reporting an assault on a prisoner.
“Emergency services attended and the man was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. Detectives from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team are investigating and inquiries remain ongoing at the scene.” Two years prior to his death, he suffered severe but non-life-threatening injuries after being taken hostage.
In 2013, the Welsh native, 48, pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court to 13 child sex offences. He also admitted to the rape and sexual assault of a child who was under the age of 13. Watkins also admitted conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven involving taking, making or possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a sex act on an animal.
Sentencing Mr Justice Royce said the case broke ‘new ground’ and ‘plunged into new depths of depravity’. He said Watkins had a ‘corrupting influence’ and had shown a ‘complete lack of remorse’. He added Watkins posed a significant risk to the public in particular to women with young children.
The musician was later handed an extra 10 months after he was discovered to have a mobile phone in his possession while behind bars. Initially, he denied having a three-inch GSTAR phone in his cell. As the verdict was read out, Watkins claimed that “known murderers” in his prison told him to keep an eye on the phone after chucking it on his bed.
During the hearing, Judge Rodney Jameson QC said: “I am very conscious of the fact you are serving a very long time and you will be well into middle age by the time you are released.
“The fact of the matter is, if there is not an appreciable penalty for having had a mobile phone in these circumstances, then of course you would draw from that the lesson you could have another one, and that is not a position I would want to encourage.”
Speaking about possible repercussions, he said: “Chances are someone would sneak up behind me and cut my throat. It’s not like one-on-one. Stuff like that, you don’t see it coming.” He was said to be sharing his wing with murderers, killers, rapists and paedophiles, who he described as “the worst of the worst”. Asked to describe his music career during an earlier appearance, Watkins told the court his band had sold between five and ten million records across the world between 1999 and 2012.
Watkins said the Lostprophets had toured all over the world, headlining at Wembley Arena and the MEN Arena in Manchester. Watkins was allegedly paying for protection in prison after being stabbed with a “sharpened toilet brush”. The convicted sex offender reportedly had “access to money” and “spent his time” buying both protection and friendships after the attack in 2023, which was reportedly over a £900 drugs debt.
If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
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