Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins killed by 'brute' already serving time for murder after singer failed to pay 'protection money'
The 48-year-old singer was serving time for a string of child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby
Paedophile singer Ian Watkins was killed by a 'gangland brute' already behind bars for murder, it is has been alleged.
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The former musician was killed at HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire on Saturday morning.
The former Lostprophets frontman was found severely injured in his cell but could not be saved, with medics pronouncing him dead at the scene.
Two inmates, aged 43 and 25, have been arrested on suspicion of murder amid claims Watkins refused to pay 'protection money.'
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It is understood the younger suspect is the one who yielded the weapon and is believed to have recently entered the same wing as the paedophile.
Watkins was killed after being stabbed in the neck after inmates were allowed to leave their cells on Saturday morning.
He was being held on a wing housing general population rather than holding just sex offenders.
A source told The Sun: "Watkins was known for paying for his security in jail. He was getting rinsed.
“Someone would threaten him and he’d pay up.
The killer had approached him and said 'Give me money and I’ll protect you.'
"No one's clear why he then turned on him — and slit his neck.
"Watkins was getting no special protection on a wing with killers, gangsters and drug dealers.
"It put him in extreme danger and it was as if he knew his time was up."
It is expected that the two males will be charged and sent to another high-security jail.
A prison spokesperson previously confirmed they would make no further comment during the police investigation.
Watkins was jailed in 2013 for a series of child sex crimes, including the attempted rape of a fan’s baby daughter.
He admitted two attempted rapes, sexually assaulting a child under 13, aiding and abetting the sexual assault of a child under 13, conspiring to rape a child under 13 and conspiring to sexually assault another child under 13.
He had also pleaded guilty to six counts of taking and possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing extreme pornographic images.
He had previously been stabbed at the prison in 2023, with reports at the time saying he had been taken hostage by three other inmate