Ian Watkins, the former frontman of the Welsh rock band Lostprophets, has died following a violent prison attack in England.
Watkins was serving a 29-year sentence for multiple child sex offenses when he was fatally stabbed by fellow inmates. The BBC confirmed on October 11 that Watkins was killed “after being attacked in jail,” though no suspect has yet been identified.
The Guardian also reported that Watkins was the victim of the stabbing.
Lostprophets, formed in 1997, rose to prominence in the early 2000s with a devoted fan base before the band disbanded in 2013 after Watkins’ arrest and conviction on numerous child sex abuse charges.
West Yorkshire Police confirmed the incident in an October 11 news release, though they did not identify Ian Watkins by name.
“At 9:39 a.m. this morning (Saturday), police were called by staff at HMP Wakefield reporting an assault on a prisoner,” the statement read.
Watkins was serving his sentence at HMP Wakefield, one of the UK’s highest-security prisons, when the fatal attack occurred.
“Emergency services attended and the man was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later,” police said in their statement. “Detectives from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team are investigating and enquiries remain ongoing at the scene.”
Authorities have not provided additional details about the attack, but according to the BBC, Watkins was fatally stabbed by another inmate.
The former Lostprophets frontman had been serving a lengthy sentence for a series of disturbing crimes. As reported by the BBC, Watkins “admitted the attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 13 but pleaded not guilty to rape.”
During sentencing, the judge condemned Watkins’ actions, saying, “Any decent person… will experience shock, revulsion and incredulity,” while criticizing the singer for showing no remorse.
The Guardian noted that this was not the first time Watkins had been attacked in prison — he was previously stabbed and taken hostage by inmates at HMP Wakefield two years ago, though he survived that incident.
Watkins had described his conditions behind bars as being housed among “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst,” according to The Guardian.
