Former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins killed in UK prison attack

Ian Watkins, the former lead singer of the British rock band Lostprophets, was killed on Saturday in a prison attack in England, where he was serving a 29-year sentence for multiple child sex offences.

The 48-year-old was found with serious injuries at HMP Wakefield, a high-security prison in West Yorkshire. Police said they were called to the facility at around 9.40 am after reports of an assault on an inmate. Despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a statement, West Yorkshire Police confirmed that two men, aged 25 and 43, have been arrested on suspicion of murder. An investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not released further details. Prison sources later identified the victim as Watkins, who was allegedly stabbed by fellow inmates, according to reports.

Watkins had been serving his sentence at Wakefield Prison, known as “Monster Mansion” for housing some of the country’s most notorious offenders.

In November 2013, he pleaded guilty to 13 offences, including child sexual assault, the attempted rape of a baby, and creating indecent images of children. A month later, he was sentenced to 29 years in prison with an additional six years on licence.

This was not Watkins’ first assault behind bars; he previously survived an attack in August 2023.

Lostprophets, formed in Wales in 1997, disbanded in 2012 after the charges against Watkins became public.

The group achieved major success in the 2000s, with albums Start Something (2004) and Liberation Transmission (2006) reaching the US Top 40, and their single Last Train Home topping Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart.