Ian Watkins was attacked and died in HMP Wakefield where he was allegedly slashed with a make-shift knife with Rico Gedel and Samuel Dodsworth on trial for his murder
A prison officer says a nurse saw Ian Watkins’ injuries and began “screeching” before the disgraced singer “gargled” on his own blood after being attacked in jail.
Rico Gedel, 25, also known as Rashid, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, are both accused of murdering the former Lostprophets frontman at HMP Wakefield on October 11 and are on trial at Leeds Crown Court.
Watkins, 48, 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 court heard how prison officers went to the aid of Watkins after he was allegedly attacked with a makeshift knife, and a nurse also attending to him made a “screeching” sound when she saw the extent of the injuries. It was after this that Watkins began “gargling” before going into cardiac arrest and dying.
Jurors sitting on the trial have so far heard how he suffered three injuries caused by a makeshift knife during a 20-second attack. Footage showing a blood-soaked Watkins emerging from his cell has been released by West Yorkshire Police after jurors were shown it by prosecutor Tom Storey KC.
Both Gedel and Dodsworth deny murdering Watkins. Gedel is accused of carrying out the attack, while Dodsworth is accused of keeping watch and disposing of the weapon in a bin in the recess area.
On Friday, two prison officers gave evidence from the witness box, with one noting he first became aware of Watkins’ injuries while on the landing of B wing.
He said: “I don’t remember the time, but I remember seeing something. From what I remember, I remember stood looking down the landing. I kind of had a bit of a view down the landing but not much of one.
“From what I saw, I saw Mr Watkins come out of his cell, wearing a white T-shirt, and I remember seeing blood down the front of his shirt. He didn’t really do anything, he just kind of stood there and looked towards where me and two other officers were stood.
“He went back towards his cell, like he was trying to get back in for whatever reason. I alerted the two staff members I was stood with in case they didn’t see it and all three of us went to his cell.”
The officer said a colleague went to help Watkins, while he and another went to apprehend Gedel, who he saw punch another inmate. After being apprehended, Gedel was taken to his cell, neighbouring Watkins’. Officers were then said to have carried out a strip search before one kept watch.
Peter Moulson KC, for Gedel, asked the officer if he heard any sentences uttered by Watkins such as: “Get away from my cell you s***stain.” Mr Moulson said: ” And then the ‘N’ word is used in this context, Watkins said: ‘This is an – N word – free zone.’
“Did you hear Watkins to the effect of: ‘If you don’t move from the cell now, I’m going to f****** stab you.’ And finally, from Watkins: ‘I’m going to count to three’ and then the words, ‘One, two’.” The officer said he did not hear any of those statements, but was close enough that he would have heard it if it was said.
Another officer was then called into the courtroom to give evidence and told how he had been in charge of unlocking the cells on the left-side of the wing – where Gedel’s and Watkins’ were situated – on October 11 last year. He said he interacted with both inmates.
Of Gedel, he said they spoke and added: “As I opened his door, I saw it was Mr Gedel and basically said to him, ‘What you done this time?’ And we laughed a bit and had a smirk and I went onto unlock the other cells.”
He said the comment was due to his move onto B wing. He said “sometimes it is just a normal move, but other times prisoners will be moved if there’s been an incident or something similar to that,” reported YorkshireLive.
The next cell the officer unlocked was Watkins. He said: “As I opened his door, he was sat on his bed doing a drawing. I asked what he was drawing and he showed me. It was a picture of another prisoner’s partner and we had a chat and that was that. He did a lot of paintings and drawings.”
After he unlocked the cells, the officer said he then began to carry out cell searches to make sure everything, including the locks and windows, were secure. The officer said he did not think Gedel was in his cell when it was searched, but Watkins was in his. He added: “He was still doing his drawing…”
The officer said he then joined other officers on the landing. He told the court: “I made an observation to the left to look down the landing, and there were two workmen and as they got past Watkins’ cell, one made a gesture, to the left-hand side of his neck, as in a slicing motion.
“At that time, that’s when Mr Watkins’ put his head out of his cell. Mr Watkins’ was leaning out of his cell, so his head was present just outside of the cell structure, and at that moment in time, that’s when I noticed a lot of blood coming away from his neck.
“First instinct, I told the two other members of staff, and we made our way down to Mr Watkins’ cell, and [a colleague] held him and helped him into his cell and we made our way down the stairs to apprehend Mr Gedel.” The officer said it was “fair” to assume Gedel had been involved. He said: “Experience, from myself, I know of Mr Gedel from previous wings. He has carried out numerous assaults from other locations.”
Once Gedel was apprehended, the officer said he went back to Watkins’ cell to assist with treating him. He said: “I could see a cut to his right ear, a large laceration to his right cheek, and also a very large laceration from his left cheek to lower neck.”
The officer said Watkins was “sat in his bed” and was “still conscious and spoke to me”. He said: “I asked if he was ok when I first went in and he said that yes he was fine. I was trying to keep him awake and keep him talking.
“As I showed the nurse the injury to his neck, the nurse was quite shocked and made a ‘screeching’ noise and at that point, I think that’s when Mr Watkins realised what had happened and he deteriorated even further. He fell back onto his bed and was gargling.”
The officer said the nurse then expressed the opinion Watkins was going into cardiac arrest and CPR was administered, but Watkins’ died.
The trial continues.
