One of Ian Watkins murder accused refuses to attend hearing on prison video link

One of two inmates accused of murdering former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins at HMP Wakefield refused to attend his first Crown Court appearance on video link from the jail.

Rashid Gedel, 25, who was referred to as Rico Gedel during the hearing, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, are charged with murder over the alleged attack on Saturday morning.

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

On Tuesday both men were due to make their first appearance before a Crown Court judge.

Dodsworth appeared via video link from HMP Wakefield, but Leeds Crown Court heard Gedel had refused to attend remotely.

Prosecutor Tom Storey KC said: “The reason for Rico Gedel’s non-appearance this morning is said to be a refusal on his part to attend on the link. It appears he wanted to attend in person.”

No bail applications were made during the hearing and both men were remanded in custody until their next appearance at the same court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on November 12.

Judge Guy Kearl, the Recorder of Leeds, set a provisional date of May 5 for the trial, which is expected to take two to three weeks.

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.