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The jury in the case involving two prisoners accused of murdering former Lostprophets lead singer Ian Watkins has been dismissed. Watkins was fatally stabbed with a homemade weapon in his cell at the high-security HMP Wakefield on 11 October last year. The defendants, Rico Gedel, aged 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 44, both denied charges of murder and possession of a knife within the prison. A retrial for the pair has been scheduled.
Ian Watkins, originally from Pontypridd, was sentenced to 29 years in prison in December 2013 after admitting numerous sexual offenses, including the attempted rape of a fan’s baby. At Leeds Crown Court, Mr Justice Hilliard informed the jury that he was reluctantly discharging them and that the case would need to be tried again. He acknowledged that this outcome was disappointing for everyone involved. The tentative date set for the retrial is 8 February next year.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Gedel entered Watkins’ cell shortly after the morning unlock at around 9:20 BST. He used a knife crafted from a blade taped to a section of plastic cutlery to stab Watkins in the head and neck. CCTV footage captured Gedel handing the weapon to Dodsworth, who then wrapped it in tissue and disposed of it in a bin. Prosecutors argued that both men were responsible for the murder, contending that Dodsworth was aware of the planned assault and assisted Gedel by getting rid of the weapon.
During court proceedings, Gedel—who was serving a life sentence for murder—was described as smiling and joking after the attack, reportedly telling officers to “let me know when he dies” and saying “have a good night’s sleep Watkins lad” as Watkins was receiving medical attention. Gedel admitted that he harbored animosity towards sex offenders in prison and had threatened various inmates before the assault. He said his decision to attack Watkins was mainly influenced by their close quarters, having been assigned the neighboring cell the night prior following a transfer for assaulting other prisoners. Dodsworth, convicted of raping a woman, denied involvement and claimed he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. He stated that his only action was throwing the knife away after panicking upon seeing Watkins injured.
When Watkins was sentenced in 2013 for his 13 child sex offenses, Mr Justice Royce described the case as breaking “new ground” and plunging “into new depths of depravity.” Two co-defendants, who were mothers of some of the abused children, received prison terms of 14 and 17 years respectively
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