Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the stabbing death of Ian Watkins, the former Lostprophetssinger who was killed at HMP Wakefield prison on Saturday.
The 48-year-old convicted pedophile was serving a 29-year sentence when the fatal incident occurred at the West Yorkshire facility.
As per Rolling Stone, South Yorkshire Police confirmed that suspects aged 25 and 43 were taken into custody in connection with Watkins’ death. Authorities have launched a murder investigation but declined to release the identities of the arrested individuals or provide further details whilst the inquiry remains active.
Watkins was imprisoned after pleading guilty to 13 serious charges in 2013, including the attempted rape of a fan’s baby and creating child pornography. His conviction shocked the music industry and fans, effectively ending Lostprophets’ career despite the band’s previous commercial success.
The former frontman had experienced violence at HMP Wakefield previously. In August 2023, three prisoners attacked Watkins, inflicting neck injuries severe enough to require hospital treatment. This earlier incident highlighted the dangerous environment within the facility, which houses some of Britain’s most violent offenders.
HMP Wakefield has earned the notorious nickname “Monster Mansion” due to its population of serial killers, murderers, and sex offenders. The prison’s reputation for housing dangerous criminals has been reinforced by recent reports indicating a significant rise in violent incidents among inmates.
A chief inspector of prisons’ report published just weeks before Watkins’ death revealed that attacks at HMP Wakefield had “increased markedly.” The document noted particular concerns about older prisoners convicted of sexual offences, who “increasingly shared the prison with a growing cohort of younger prisoners.”
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“Many prisoners told us they felt unsafe, particularly older men convicted of sexual offences,” the report stated, highlighting the vulnerable position of inmates like Watkins within the prison hierarchy.
Watkins faced additional legal troubles during his incarceration. In 2019, he received an extra 10 months after prison staff discovered a mobile phone in his possession. During proceedings related to that case, Watkins claimed other inmates had forced him to hold the device, though he refused to identify the prisoners involved.
Watkins said he was “locked up with murderers, mass murderers, rapists, pedophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst” while fighting the additional charges, describing his fear of retribution from fellow inmates.
