Ian Watkins, former lead singer of the Welsh band Lostprophets and convicted sex offender, has died in prison at the age of 48, after being attacked by another inmate at Wakefield prison, NME reports.
West Yorkshire Police have confirmed that the singer was attacked this Saturday (October 11) by a fellow prisoner and died from his injuries.
Watkins has been serving a 29-year prison sentence – with an additional six on probation – after pleading guilty in 2013 to thirteen sexual crimes, including attempted rape of a baby and possession of extreme pornographic material. In 2023, Watkins had already suffered another violent attack in prison, when he was held down and stabbed by other inmates in a drug-related incident.
Before his fall from grace, Ian Watkins had achieved international fame with Lostprophets, one of the leading British alternative rock bands of the early 2000s. The group had released five studio albums: ‘The Fake Sound of Progress’ (2000), ‘Start Something’ (2004), ‘Liberation Transmission’ (2006), ‘The Betrayed’ (2010) and ‘Weapons’ (2012).
Throughout their career, the band has sold more than 3.5 million records worldwide, has had two singles in the top 10 of the British chart (‘Last Train Home’ and ‘Rooftops’) and has achieved a number one on the American Alternative Songs chart with ‘Last Train Home’. In addition, he has been recognized with various awards and nominations.
