Inmate Pleads Not Guilty in Prison Killing of Lostprophets Singer Ian Watkins
One of the inmates charged with the killing of former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins has entered a plea of not guilty to murder. The 43-year-old defendant, Samuel Dodsworth, appeared before Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday via video link from HMP Wakefield, the high-security prison where Watkins was fatally attacked in October.
Dodsworth also denied a secondary charge of possessing a makeshift knife, reportedly the weapon used in the attack, on the day of Watkins’ death. The former musician, who was serving a 29-year sentence for a series of child sex crimes, died on October 11, 2024, after being stabbed in the neck.
Another inmate, Rico Gedel, 25, who has also been charged with murder, did not enter a plea. The BBC reported that Gedel refused to attend the video hearing, demanding instead to appear in person before the court to respond to the charges. No plea was entered on his behalf.
Two additional prisoners were arrested as part of the same investigation and remain charged with conspiracy to commit murder. A trial date for Dodsworth and Gedel has been scheduled for May 5, 2026.
Watkins’ death occurred inside HMP Wakefield, one of Britain’s most infamous prisons, often nicknamed the “Monster Mansion” due to its population of violent offenders and convicted sex criminals. The facility houses some of the U.K.’s most dangerous inmates, including serial killers and high-profile pedophiles.
The attack on Watkins took place more than a decade after he was sentenced to prison in 2013. At the time, he pleaded guilty to 13 charges, including the attempted rape of a baby, sexual assault of minors, and possession of child pornography. The case was described by the presiding judge as one that “plumbed new depths of depravity.”
This was not the first time Watkins had been targeted behind bars. In August 2023, he was assaulted by three inmates, suffering neck injuries that required hospitalization. Authorities at the time stated that the attack had heightened security concerns around his presence at Wakefield, though no permanent transfer followed.
Before his conviction, Watkins fronted the Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets, which rose to prominence in the early 2000s with hits like “Last Train Home” and “Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast).” The group achieved major commercial success, selling more than 3.4 million albums worldwide and becoming a staple of the U.K. rock scene.
Their final studio album, Weapons, was released in 2012, just months before Watkins’ arrest later that year. Following his imprisonment, the remaining members of Lostprophets disbanded and publicly condemned their former frontman’s crimes, later forming a new group under the name No Devotion.
The court heard that both murder defendants, Dodsworth and Gedel, will remain in custody pending their 2026 trial. The two other inmates accused of conspiracy are also expected to face separate hearings. Authorities have not disclosed whether the four men were acting together or what may have motivated the killing.
The West Yorkshire Police have confirmed that the investigation into Watkins’ death remains ongoing. Meanwhile, HMP Wakefield has faced renewed scrutiny over inmate safety and the management of high-risk prisoners following the incident.
