Three inmates at Britain's toughest prison have been charged with murdering notorious child killer Kyle Bevan, who was found dead in his cell at HMP Wakefield earlier this week.
Bevan, 33, was serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 28 years for the savage killing of his partner's two-year-old daughter, Lola James, in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, in 2020. He was discovered unresponsive in his cell on Wednesday morning.
Those charged are Mark Fellows, 45, Lee Newell, 56, and David Taylor, 63 — all inmates of the same high-security jail grimly known as 'Monster Mansion.'
Court Hears From Accused Prisoners
West Yorkshire Police said officers were called to the prison shortly after 8:25 am following reports of a death in custody. Bevan was pronounced dead at the scene.
The three accused men, all inmates at the same facility, appeared before Leeds Magistrates' Court via video link on Friday. Fellows and Newell spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and that they understood the proceedings, while Taylor told the court: 'I am innocent.'
All three were remanded into custody and are due to appear before Leeds Crown Court on Monday.
Bevan's Conviction For The Killing Of Two-Year-Old Lola James
Bevan was jailed in 2023 after a jury found him guilty of murdering his stepdaughter in what the sentencing judge described as a 'sustained, deliberate and very violent attack'.
Lola, described in court as a 'happy, busy, and good little girl', suffered 101 external injuries, including catastrophic head trauma and extensive eye damage.
Medical experts said her injuries were comparable to those seen in high-speed car crashes.
'Physical abuse is the most likely cause. A stair fall does not explain the catastrophic and extensive injuries to the head with bleeding to both eyes,' paediatrician Dr Deborah Stalker told the court, as cited by Dyfed-Powys Police.
She added: 'An extensive subdural haemorrhage is usually the result of a high-velocity road traffic collision where a child is thrown from the collision, or a fall from a great height, such as a fall from a balcony or bedroom window of more than 10 feet.'
Lola's mother, Sinead James, who met Bevan on Facebook and allowed him to move into her home within days, was sentenced to six years for causing or allowing the death of a child. During the trial, she described Bevan as a 'monster who needs to rot in hell'.
Wakefield Prison Faces Scrutiny After Recent Violence
HMP Wakefield, a Category A men's prison in West Yorkshire, has come under scrutiny following a series of violent incidents. Just weeks before Bevan's death, convicted paedophile and former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins was stabbed to death in the same prison.
An inspection report published in September found that violence had increased at Wakefield, with many inmates reporting they did not feel safe. The report also cited poor management of work and education programmes and deteriorating infrastructure.
Investigation Ongoing Into Bevan's Death
The investigation into Bevan's death remains ongoing. Police have not released further details about the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The case has intensified concerns over safety and management at one of the UK's most secure prisons, which houses some of the country's most dangerous offenders.
Bevan's killing, coming so soon after the fatal attack on Ian Watkins, highlights mounting concerns over how effectively Britain's highest-security prisons manage violent inmates. Wakefield's record of assaults and unrest reflects a wider strain across the prison estate, where overcrowding, staff shortages, and declining infrastructure have been repeatedly flagged by inspectors.
While some may view the deaths of notorious offenders as grim instances of 'prison justice', experts warn that such incidents reveal deeper systemic failures.
Every killing within custody, regardless of the victim, represents a breakdown in security and duty of care. The recurrence of fatal violence at HMP Wakefield suggests a culture of fear and instability that the Prison Service has yet to bring under control.
As enquiries continue, the Ministry of Justice will face pressure to explain how two high-profile killings occurred in the same facility within weeks. For campaigners, the question is no longer about who died, but how Britain's most secure prisons became so unsafe.
