🔗 Share this article Reason of Child Sex Offender Musician's Jail Demise Revealed Police Department The disgraced rock star from Pontypridd was sentenced to 29 years in jail plus six years on extended supervision Shamed Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins passed away after being attacked in the neck in an reported prison attack, an investigation has learned. Watkins, 48, succumbed on 11 October after being targeted at HMP Wakefield, where he had been completing a 29-year prison sentence for child sex crimes including the attempted rape of a baby. The inquest, opened earlier at Wakefield Coroner's Court, was adjourned pending the completion of an associated murder case. Two individuals have been accused with murder in relation to Watkins' death while two other suspects, aged 23 and 39, arrested earlier this week on allegation of conspiracy to murder were sent back to prison as inquiries continued. Official Findings Medical Examiner Oliver Longstaff said Watkins, who was identified by his full name of Ian David Karslake Watkins during the short proceeding, had been pronounced dead at the West Yorkshire prison by an on-call doctor and was officially recognized by a prison officer. Mr Longstaff said paramedics were summoned to the jail "after a report he had been attacked in the throat". The coroner said a post-mortem report gave the cause of death as an incision to the neck. 'Depths of Depravity' In 2013 at Cardiff Crown Court, Watkins denied rape but admitted the sexual assault and sexual assault of a child under 13. He admitted 13 crimes, including conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven involving taking, producing or holding inappropriate images of children and one of having an extreme image involving a sex act on an animal. Legal authorities had described him as a man corrupted by fame, substances, and power who had perpetrated crimes "exceeding imagination." Mr Justice Royce said the case had broken "new ground" and "plunged into new depths of wickedness". Watkins was also attacked in prison in 2023. After that attack, he was taken to hospital with injuries which were not fatal. Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, appeared in court last week accused with his murder, but were not required to enter pleas. Who Was Ian Watkins? Media Archives Watkins performing in London in 2012 Watkins was once one of Wales' most famous artists - the lead singer of the rock band Lostprophets. The band started in Pontypridd in 1997, and distributed millions of albums around the world. They produced five studio albums, one of which achieved number one in the UK. The group also had some success in the US, with their second and third albums reaching the popular charts. They disbanded immediately after Watkins was convicted in 2013. His previous bandmates spoke openly about their shock and disgust. Bassist Stuart Richardson said in 2014: "Although I was completely done with him, I wished it was all a mistake, he was innocent, he had to be. "The first time, we knew the band was done. You can't go back from that." The other bandmates and American singer Geoff Rickly formed a new band, No Devotion, shortly thereafter.