Two in court over murder of paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins

Two men have appeared in court charged with the murder of paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins.

Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, both inmates at HMP Wakefield, were remanded in custody at Leeds Magistrates' Court on Monday morning.

Dodsworth and Gedel were produced separately at court, with both only speaking to confirm their names and dates of birth during the brief hearings.

District Judge Anthony Dunne remanded both men in custody until their next appearance at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday.

Watkins, 48, was pronounced dead after an alleged assault at HMP Wakefield on Saturday morning.

He was jailed for 29 years in December 2013 with a further six years on licence, after admitting a string of sex offences - including the attempted rape of a fan's baby.

The disgraced singer was arrested following the execution of a drugs warrant at his Pontypridd home in September 2012.

A large number of computers, mobile phones and storage devices were seized.

Analysis of the equipment uncovered Watkins' depraved behaviour.

Watkins was previously taken to hospital after being attacked in 2023.

At the time, police said his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

In 2019, he was jailed for 10 months on top of the sentence he was serving for child sex offences after he was found guilty of possessing a mobile phone in prison.

(c) Sky News 2025: Two in court over murder of paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins