Trial begins for two men accused of murdering Ian Watkins
Two men have begun trial over the murder of Lostprophets frontman and convicted paedophile Ian Watkins.
Watkins, who was serving a 35-year sentence after pleading guilty to 13 child sex offences in 2013, was stabbed to death in his cell at HMP Wakefield on October 11th, 2025.
43-year-old Samuel Dodsworth and 25-year-old Rashid Gedel were both subsequently charged with murder in relation to the death of Watkins, as well as possession of a makeshift weapon. Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The trial has now begun in Leeds Crown Court on May 7th. According to the BBC, prosecutors alleged that Gedel walked into Watkins’ cell shortly after it was unlocked by guards for the morning and stabbed the disgraced rocker three times in the head and neck with a homemade knife.
Gedel is then alleged by prosecutors to have passed the weapon to Dodsworth, who they say was tasked with disposing of it.
The attack on Watkins lasted only 20 seconds, prosecutors told the court.
Gedel is alleged to have later told the police he was jealous of “nonce prisoners” because they “got treated like royalty”. He was also reportedly unhappy to share a wing with sex offenders, who are not segregated at HMP Wakefield.
Tom Storey KC told the court that Watkins had received two notes in the days before he was killed, accusing him of getting another prisoner removed from the wing, as well as threatening violence and demanding money from him.
The court was shown footage, according to the BBC, of Gedel outside Watkins’ cell before entering around 9:20am and departing 20 seconds after, before allegedly passing an item to Dodsworth.
Before prisoners were ordered to stay in their cells, Dodsworth was seen in an alcove containing bins, which is where the alleged weapon was later discovered by officers.
Dodsworth maintains he was not involved in the murder and attempted to give it back to Gedel. He also reportedly put the homemade knife in the bin “in panic” after seeing Watkins emerge from his cell with a gash to his neck.
Watkins was declared dead by paramedics at 10:15am.
Both Gedel and Dodsworth deny all of the charges.
The trial continues.
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