Disgraced former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins was killed last weekend and a recent book offered insight into his changing appearance while locked up
Paedophile Ian Watkins was “scruffy” and “lazy” before he was killed in Wakefield prison, insiders claimed. The former Lostprophets frontman died on Saturday morning and two people have since been charged with his murder.
Details about his changing appearance were revealed last year in a book called Inside Wakefield Prison: Life Behind Bars in the Monster Mansion. Authors Jonathan Levi and Emma French spoke to various people about Watkins, who was serving 29 years for child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.
One of their sources included Martin Baker, who joined HMP Wakefield in West Yorks in 1999. The former senior prison officer said Watkins’ pre-prison appears was markedly different from what it was inside.
He explained: “He had long straggly hair. He was a bit scruffy and if he didn’t want to go to work, he didn’t go to work, and he was getting nicked because he wanted to just laze about in his cell and drink tea.”
As for his friendship group, he added: “They all mix with like-minded people. There’s not diversity; a gangster doesn’t want to mix with a paedophile and a paedophile doesn’t want to mix with a rapist.”
And one unnamed inmate, who claimed Watkins “spent thousands” on protection, gave his own take on the depraved former singer’s appearance. He said: “He is a tall thin male who dyes his thinning hair black. The prison service actually sells hair dye.”
The prisoner also said Watkins had no issue accessing money and explaining how finances are distributed, he said: “Money exchanges are easily done in prison. The person you’re paying, you simply take their friends’ or families’ phone number on the outside, give that number over the phone to your family.
“They call the person outside and take their bank details and pay the money into their account.”
Watkins, 48, was killed during an incident inside the jail dubbed Monster Mansion on Saturday (October 11). Two men, Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, have been charged with the murder.
They spoke inside Leeds Magistrates’ Court just to confirm their name and date of birth. The former rockstar was jailed back in 2013 and at the time, Mr Justice Royce said the disturbing case “plunged into new depths of depravity”.
During his time in prison, he survived other assaults, but the latest attack proved fatal. West Yorkshire Police said he lost his life after being “seriously assaulted” and the force added: “Detectives have charged two men with murder after the death of a prisoner at HMP Wakefield on Saturday.
“Ian Watkins, 48, was pronounced dead after being seriously assaulted at HMP Wakefield on Saturday morning (11 October). Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, both of HMP Wakefield have both been charged with murder.”