The chilling final post of Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has resurfaced following his death.
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse, which some readers may find distressing.
Ian Watkins, the former frontman of Welsh rock band Lostprophets, has died aged 48 following a fatal assault at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire.
The singer had been serving a 29-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2013 of a catalogue of child s** offenses that a judge described as ‘plumbing new depths of depravity.’
Originally from Pontypridd, Wales, Watkins was arrested in September 2012 after police seized computers, mobile phones and storage devices during a drugs warrant at his home.
He later pleaded guilty to the attempted r*** and s**ual assault of a child under 13, conspiracy to r*** a child, three separate assaults involving children, seven charges related to making and possessing indecent images of children, and possession of an extreme p***ographic image involving a s** act with an animal.
At Cardiff Crown Court, he was sentenced to 29 years in prison with a further six years on license. Two female co-defendants, both mothers of children he abused, were jailed for 14 and 17 years.
At sentencing, Mr Justice Royce told Watkins his offending broke ‘new ground’ and would cause ‘shock, revulsion and incredulity’ among the public. The judge said the singer had a ‘corrupting influence’ and showed a ‘complete lack of remorse.’
His appeal against the length of the sentence was dismissed in 2014.
Before his crimes were exposed, Watkins had been a successful musician, selling millions of albums worldwide in the 2000s.
Lostprophets, formed in 1997, released five studio albums, secured a UK number one record, and achieved international success with arena tours and top 10 singles.
The band opened for metal heavyweights, including Metallica and Slipknot, during their peak years.
The band disbanded in disgrace following his arrest. His former bandmates cut ties entirely, going on to form No Devotion with singer Geoff Rickly.
Life in prison had been volatile for Watkins. In 2023, he was stabbed and briefly taken hostage by other inmates at HMP Wakefield, although his injuries at the time were reported as not life-threatening.
A recent inspection report on the prison noted that violence had ‘increased markedly’ and said ‘many prisoners told us they felt unsafe, particularly older men convicted of s**ual offences who increasingly shared the prison with a growing cohort of younger prisoners.’
Police and emergency services were called to HMP Wakefield on Saturday morning (October 11) after reports of an assault on a prisoner inside the facility.
West Yorkshire Police confirmed: “Officers were called by staff at the prison at 9.39 am this morning to reports of a serious assault on a prisoner. A man aged 48 was found with serious injuries. Despite medical attentio,n he was pronounced dead at the scene.”
On Sunday (October 13), police confirmed that Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, have been charged with Watkins’ murder and are due to appear in court, per the BBC.
Detectives from the Homicide and Major Inquiry Team are investigating, and inquiries remain ongoing.
In the wake of his death, a chilling final message posted on Watkins’ Twitter account has resurfaced online.
Dated December 16, 2012 – just one day before his arrest – it read: “Well……that escalated pretty quickly……I do apologize….”
Although the context of the post remains unclear, earlier tweets suggested he’d been commenting on a film at the time.
The account sparked controversy in 2016 when it suddenly reactivated, posting links to music on Soundcloud. Officials insisted Watkins didn’t have access to a phone at the time, though he was later caught with one in 2018 and given an extra 10 months behind bars.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We are unable to comment further while the police investigate.”
