New start date for trial of men accused of murdering paedophile Ian Watkins

5 May 2026 • 7:35 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

New start date for trial of men accused of murdering paedophile Ian Watkins

  • Two men, Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, are accused of murdering Ian Watkins, the former Lostprophets frontman.
  • Watkins, 48, was allegedly murdered at HMP Wakefield on October 11, 2025.
  • He was serving a 29-year sentence for child sex offenses, including the attempted rape of a fan's baby, after being jailed in December 2013.
  • The trial for Gedel and Dodsworth has been delayed by one day and is now expected to commence at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday.
  • Watkins had a history of incidents in prison, including being attacked in 2023 and receiving an additional 10-month sentence in 2019 for possessing a mobile phone.

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