Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins killed in prison attack
Ian Watkins, the former frontman of British rock band Lostprophets, was killed Saturday in an attack at a prison in England, where he was serving a 29-year sentence for multiple sex crimes against children.
Watkins, 48, pleaded guilty in November 2013 to 13 child sex offenses, including making or possessing child pornography, sexually assaulting at least one child under the age of 13 and attempting to rape a baby.
He was convicted the following month for what the judge called “new depths of depravity.” He was serving his long sentence in a prison in Wakefield, England, nicknamed the “Monster Mansion” because of the high-profile criminals held there.
On Saturday, West Yorkshire Police said in a statement that officers were sent to the prison at around 9.40am following reports of an assault on an inmate. They arrived to find a 48-year-old man suffering from “serious” but unspecified injuries. Despite the rescue measures attempted, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Although police did not identify the victim in their statement, prison sources have since confirmed that Watkins was killed after being attacked by fellow inmates, the BBC reported. He was reportedly stabbed, according to local reports.
Following the attack, police said two men, aged 25 and 43, were arrested on suspicion of murder. An investigation is still ongoing and no further details have been released.
Watkins was previously assaulted in prison in August 2023, but these injuries were not life-threatening.
Lostprophets, a Welsh alternative rock band formed in 1997, released five studio albums before disbanding in 2012 after allegations against Watkins became public. Two of their albums, 2004’s “Start Something” and 2006’s “Liberation Transmission,” reached the Top 40 on the U.S. charts.
The group’s 2003 song, “Last Train Home,” topped the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and peaked at No. 75 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Originally published:
