Two men have appeared in court after being charged with the murder of the former Lostprophets singer and convicted child sexual abuse offender, Ian Watkins, in prison.
Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, were produced separately and appeared before Judge Dunne at Leeds magistrates court on Monday.
Speaking to Dodsworth, who appeared first, Dunne told him that “the charge against you means this case has to be sent to the crown court as soon as possible”.
Both men have been remanded in custody and are expected to appear in Leeds crown court on Tuesday.
Watkins, 48, was serving a 29-year sentence at HMP Wakefield, with a further six years to be served on licence, after admitting a string of offences including the attempted rape of a baby.
Watkins was arrested after the execution of a drugs warrant at his Pontypridd home on 21 September 2012, when a large number of computers, mobile phones and storage devices were seized.
In a completely separate incident in 2023 Watkins was attacked in HMP Wakefield, having been taken hostage for six hours and stabbed, though those injuries proved to be non-life threatening.
HMP Wakefield houses violent and dangerous criminals, with a report of the prison finding that serious assaults there had increased by 72% since its last inspection in 2022.
