Lostprophets' Pedophile Frontman Ian Watkins, 48, Murdered in Gruesome Prison Ambush — 'He Never Saw It Coming'
Ian Watkins was stabbed to death by another inmate in prison.
Oct. 11 2025, Published 2:30 p.m. ET
Former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has been killed in prison after being attacked by another inmate, years after surviving a previous stabbing behind bars, RadarOnline.com can report.
The 48-year-old musician, serving a lengthy sentence for child sex crimes, was reportedly “ambushed” and had his throat slashed in a brutal assault that authorities described as “shocking, even by prison standards.”
Convicted Pedophile
Watkins was serving his sentence at a high-security UK prison.
Watkins, from Pontypridd, Wales, was sentenced to 35 years in 2013 after pleading guilty to 13 child sex offenses, including the rape and sexual assault of a child under 13. The case, described by sentencing Judge Mr. Justice Royce as plunging "into new depths of depravity," exposed the singer's extensive history of predatory behavior.
Watkins also admitted to conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven counts of creating or possessing indecent images, and possession of an extreme pornographic image depicting a sex act with an animal.
In his ruling, Justice Royce said Watkins had a "corrupting influence" and demonstrated a "complete lack of remorse," warning that the musician posed a significant danger to the public, particularly to women with young children.
Watkins’ Violent Death
Watkins was reportedly 'ambushed' and had his throat slashed.
Watkins' violent death came after years of tension and hostility during his incarceration. In August 2023, he was stabbed and held hostage at HMP Wakefield, sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. Reports at the time indicated that three inmates took him captive for six hours, allegedly over an unsettled £900 drug debt. Prison officers eventually intervened, and Watkins was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Despite that earlier attack, he remained a target among prisoners. Sources claimed that on Friday, Watkins was "targeted by another inmate who shanked him in the neck." The insider added: "Watkins has been killed in the most brutal way possible — and the attack was shocking, even by prison standards. Guards were nearby and raced to the scene pretty quickly — but there was nothing they could do, and they could not save him."
Authorities have suggested that the latest killing was "pre-planned", and the motive remains under investigation.
Watkins' Prison Time
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In 2013, Watkins was sentenced to 35 years after pleading guilty to 13 child sex offenses.
Watkins' notoriety and his crimes made him a high-profile and widely despised figure in the British prison system. During his time in custody, he also faced further disciplinary action — including an additional 10-month sentence after being caught with a three-inch GSTAR mobile phone in his cell. He claimed that "known murderers" in prison had thrown the phone onto his bed and told him to "keep an eye on it".
At that hearing, Judge Rodney Jameson QC warned Watkins about the risks of prison violence, saying, "Chances are someone would sneak up behind me and cut my throat. It's not like one-on-one. Stuff like that, you don't see it coming."
