Lostprophets Singer Ian Watkins Killed in Prison Stabbing

Ian Watkins, the former frontman of Lostprophets, has died after being attacked in prison, according to reports.

The 48-year-old was serving a 29-year sentence at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire for multiple sexual offences involving young children and babies.

Sources confirmed that Watkins was stabbed by another inmate on Saturday morning. Despite the efforts of prison staff, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

West Yorkshire Police said detectives from the Homicide and Major Inquiry Team have launched an investigation following the assault. The prison was immediately placed on lockdown after the incident.

A spokesperson for the Prison Service stated that they could not provide further details while the investigation is ongoing.

Watkins had previously been stabbed in 2023 during a separate attack at the same facility, when he was reportedly held hostage for several hours before being rescued by officers.

He was convicted in December 2013 and sentenced to 29 years in prison plus six years on licence after admitting to 13 sex offences, including the attempted rape of a fan’s baby and other acts of child sexual abuse.

Police at the time described him as a “committed, organized paedophile.” Watkins rose to fame as the lead singer of the Welsh rock band Lostprophets, but his career ended following his arrest in 2012 after a police raid uncovered disturbing evidence on multiple electronic devices.

In 2019, he was caught with a mobile phone in his cell, later telling a court that he was imprisoned among “the worst of the worst,” including killers and other violent offenders.