Two men in court charged with prison murder of disgraced rock star Ian Watkins

Two inmates have appeared in court charged with murdering former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins at HMP Wakefield.

Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, both of HMP Wakefield, appeared at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Monday morning after being charged with murder over the alleged attack on Saturday morning.

Emergency services were sent to the prison in West Yorkshire but Watkins, 48, who was serving a 29-year sentence for child sex offences, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Dodsworth and Gedel were produced separately at court, with both only speaking to confirm their names and dates of birth during the brief hearings.

District Judge Anthony Dunne said Dodsworth’s solicitor had filled in a form for the court saying that details set out in his interview summarised his case.

A form for Gedel, who appeared second, said there would be no indication of any admissions or plea at this stage.

District Judge Dunne remanded both men in custody until their next appearance at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday.

He told Dodsworth, who appeared before him first: “The charge against you means this case has to be sent to the crown court as soon as possible.”

Confirming on Monday that the two men had been charged, police said Gedel self-defines as any other black background and Dodsworth self-defines as white British.

Watkins, 48, was jailed for 29 years in December 2013 with a further six years on licence, after admitting a string of sex offences – including the attempted rape of a fan’s baby.

The disgraced singer was arrested following the execution of a drugs warrant at his Pontypridd home on September 21 2012 when a large number of computers, mobile phones and storage devices were seized.

Analysis of the equipment uncovered Watkins’ depraved behaviour.

Watkins was previously taken to hospital after being attacked in 2023.

At the time, police said his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

A source told the Mirror he had been taken hostage by three other inmates.

And in 2019 he was jailed for 10 months on top of the sentence he was serving for child sex offences after he was found guilty of possessing a mobile phone in prison.

Watkins claimed two inmates forced him to hold on to the phone so they could contact women who sent him fan mail in order to use them as a “revenue stream”.

In 2014, Watkins was told he could not appeal against the length of his 29-year jail term.

Lawyers for Watkins claimed he should have his jail term cut because his last-minute guilty plea spared a jury from having to watch his homemade child pornography.

However the Court of Appeal, sitting in Cardiff, turned down his application for leave for an appeal, with presiding judge Lord Justice Pitchford saying: “These were offences against infant children of such shocking depravity that a very lengthy sentence of imprisonment was demanded.

“It is not demonstrated the total sentence of 29 years together with the extended licence period was arguably manifestly excessive. Accordingly, the application in his case is refused.”

Among the disturbing videos due to be shown at his trial included his attempted rape of a baby and a webcam chat in which he instructed a crazed fan to abuse her child.

Watkins was given 14 and 15-year consecutive prison terms for engaging in sexual activity with a child and the attempted rape of an 11-month-old baby.

He was also convicted of 11 other offences – with those sentences running alongside his 29-year term.