Two prisoners charged with murder of Ian Watkins
Two inmates, Rashid Gedel (25) and Samuel Dodsworth (43), appeared before Leeds Magistrates’ Court today, charged with the murder of Ian Watkins, the former frontman of Lostprophets who was serving a prison sentence for multiple child sexual offences. Judge Dunne told Dodsworth his case must be transferred to the Crown Court given the seriousness of the charge. Both defendants were remanded in custody and will next appear at Leeds Crown Court.
Watkins, 48, died after being stabbed at HMP Wakefield, where he had been serving a 29-year sentence following his 2013 conviction on 13 counts, including the attempted rape of a baby and other sexual offences against children. The stabbing was reported the morning of October 11, and emergency responders declared him dead at the scene.
West Yorkshire Police launched a murder investigation immediately. The two arrested suspects were held on suspicion of murder, and a full criminal process is now underway. Watkins’s ex-partner, Joanne Mjadzelics, one of the people who reported his abuses in the past, said she was shocked but not entirely surprised, noting that many feared for his safety in prison.
The prison was put into lockdown after the incident, and authorities are reviewing security footage, inmate movement logs, and available cell surveillance. Watkins had previously survived a violent attack in 2023 at the same prison.
This development marks the start of formal legal proceedings in a case that has drawn considerable public attention, given the notoriety of Watkins’s past crimes and the brutality of his death behind bars.
