Former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins, 48, died in Wakefield Prison, northern England, after allegedly being attacked by another inmate.
- The Welsh rockstar was serving a 35-year sentence for child sex offences, including attempted rape and sexually assaulting a child under 13.
- Watkins was reportedly taken to hospital in 2023 after being attacked by fellow inmates, who took him hostage.
Ian Watkins, the disgraced former lead singer of Welsh rock band Lostprophets, has died in a UK prison, reportedly at the hands of a fellow inmate. The 48-year-old was serving a 35-year sentence for a string of heinous child sex offences, including attempted rape and sexually assaulting a child under 13.
According to British media reports, Watkins was pronounced dead at Wakefield Prison in northern England on Saturday morning, after an alleged assault by another inmate. “At 9:39 am this morning, police were called by staff at HMP Wakefield reporting an assault on a prisoner,” a West Yorkshire Police statement confirmed.
Watkins’ shocking downfall began in 2013, when he pleaded guilty to 13 child sex offences, including two attempted rapes, sexually assaulting a child under 13, and conspiring to rape a child under 13. He also admitted to six counts of taking and possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing extreme pornographic images.
The former rockstar’s band, Lostprophets, which formed in 1997, disbanded shortly after the charges against Watkins were made public. The group had sold millions of albums worldwide and enjoyed a string of gold and platinum records in the US and UK.
In a disturbing twist, Watkins was reportedly taken to hospital in 2023 after being attacked by fellow inmates, who allegedly took him hostage. The incident marked a grim turning point in the singer’s already troubled life behind bars.
Watkins’ death has sent shockwaves through the music industry and beyond, with many left reeling at the tragic demise of a man once hailed as a rock icon.