🔗 Share this article Reason of Child Sex Offender Musician's Prison Demise Revealed Police Department The disgraced rock star from Pontypridd was handed to 29 years in jail plus six years on extended licence Shamed Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins died after being attacked in the neck in an reported prison incident, an inquest has learned. Watkins, 48, died on 11 October after being assaulted at HMP Wakefield, where he had been completing a 29-year prison sentence for child sex crimes including the attempted rape of a baby. The hearing, opened earlier at Wakefield Coroner's Court, was postponed pending the conclusion of an associated murder trial. Two individuals have been charged with murder in connection to Watkins' death while two other suspects, aged 23 and 39, arrested earlier this week on allegation of conspiracy to murder were sent back to prison as investigations continued. Coroner Findings Medical Examiner Oliver Longstaff said Watkins, who was identified by his full name of Ian David Karslake Watkins during the short hearing, had been declared deceased at the West Yorkshire jail by an attending doctor and was officially recognized by a prison guard. Mr Longstaff said paramedics were called to the jail "following a report he had been stabbed in the throat". The examiner said a post-mortem report gave the reason of death as an wound to the neck. 'Depths of Depravity' In 2013 at Cardiff Crown Court, Watkins refuted rape but admitted the sexual assault and abuse of a child under 13. He admitted 13 crimes, including conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven involving creating, making or holding indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme image involving a sex act on an animal. Legal authorities had described him as a man influenced by celebrity, drugs, and influence who had committed crimes "exceeding imagination." Mr Justice Royce said the case had broken "new ground" and "plunged into new levels of wickedness". Watkins was also stabbed in prison in 2023. Following that incident, he was taken to medical facility with wounds which were not fatal. Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, appeared in court last week accused with his murder, but were not asked to enter responses. Who Was Ian Watkins? Media Archives Watkins appearing in London in 2012 Watkins was once one of Wales' most famous artists - the lead singer of the rock band Lostprophets. The band started in Pontypridd in 1997, and sold millions of albums around the world. They produced five studio albums, one of which achieved number one in the UK. The group also had some achievement in the US, with their second and third albums reaching the popular charts. They separated promptly after Watkins was found guilty in 2013. His former group members spoke openly about their surprise and revulsion. Bassist Stuart Richardson said in 2014: "Although I was completely finished with him, I hoped it was all a mistake, he was innocent, he had to be. "The first time, we knew the band was done. You can't return from that." The other members and American singer Geoff Rickly created a new band, No Devotion, soon after.