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The former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has died after an attack inside Wakefield Prison, and a coroner has now ruled the fatal wound was a stab to the neck. The case has quickly moved from a raw prison incident into a criminal investigation with multiple arrests and a suspended inquest.
Coroner rules stab wound as official cause after short inquest
At a brief hearing on Oct. 24, Wakefield Coroner’s Court recorded the cause of death as a neck incision. Coroner Oliver Longstaff said Watkins was pronounced dead at the prison on Oct. 11 by an attending doctor.
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Paramedics were summoned after a report the inmate had been attacked. A post-mortem examination concluded the fatal injury was a cut to the neck.
The coroner also confirmed that other prisoners have been charged in connection with the killing. Because criminal prosecutions are under way, the inquest has been put on hold pending the outcome of those proceedings.
Background: conviction, sentence and time behind bars
Watkins was serving a long custodial term for a series of child sexual offences dating back to the early 2010s. He pleaded guilty in 2013 to multiple counts related to sexual abuse and to possessing indecent imagery.
- Year of conviction: 2013
- Sentence: 29 years in prison, with an additional six years on licence
- Offences recorded at trial included:
- Attempts and conspiracies to rape children
- Multiple counts of sexual assault involving minors
- Possession and production of indecent images of children
- An offence involving extreme pornographic material
Arrests, charges and the accused
Two men were charged within days of the killing. Police named them and said legal action followed quickly after the incident at Wakefield.
Named defendants and next court dates
- Rashid Gedel (25) — also referred to in court as Rico Gedel.
- Samuel Dodsworth (43).
Both were charged two days after the murder. A plea and trial preparation hearing is scheduled for Nov. 12. The full trial is listed to begin in May 2026 and may last up to three weeks.
Further arrests and police statement on investigation
Investigators later said two additional inmates were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. The homicide and major inquiry team continues to expand its lines of enquiry.
DCI James Entwistle said extensive inquiries remain ongoing and that the arrests are part of that continuing work. Police added the family are being kept informed as the probe moves forward, but no immediate developments are expected.
How the criminal process affects the coroner’s inquiry
Because defendants now face criminal trials, the coroner has paused the inquest. That suspension is routine when a prosecution could be prejudiced by parallel investigative steps.
When the courts conclude the criminal cases, the coroner can resume to consider any remaining factual issues about how Watkins died.
