Footage from HMP Wakefield appears to show inmate Rico Gedel wishing Ian Watkins ‘a good night’s sleep, Watkins lad’ after he is alleged to have fatally stabbed the disgraced singer
The inmate accused of murdering disgraced Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins told him “have a good night’s sleep, Watkins lad” after allegedly stabbing him to death, a court heard.
Jurors were shown body-worn footage from HMP Wakefield which appears to capture Rico Gedel, 25, making the remark as he walked past the convicted paedophile’s cell.
Watkins, who was serving a 29-year sentence for child sexual offences, was fatally stabbed in his cell on October 11 last year.
When quizzed by officers over the alleged attack, Gedel “appeared to find the situation amusing”, the court previously heard.
During the opening of the trial, prosecutor Tom Storey KC said Gedel was taken back up to his cell on the second landing by a group of prison officers.
“Because his cell was immediately next to Mr Watkins’, this meant that the group escorting him had to pass the open door to Ian Watkins’ cell at a time when prison officers were still trying to provide first aid to him,” he said.
“As he walked past Ian Watkins’ open cell door, Mr Gedel clearly said ‘have a good night’s sleep, Watkins lad’.
“He was then placed inside his own cell and once there, he was searched – nothing was found on his person or in his cell.”
Prison officers said Gedel was “smug” and “smirking” after the alleged attack, Leeds Crown Court heard today.
Before the attack, Gedel was said to be “unhappy” about having to move wings the day and had threatened to “do something to get moved to segregation”. The court previously heard he went into Watkins’ cell and stabbed him three times in the head and neck with a home-made knife.
He and fellow inmate Samuel Dodsworth, 44, deny murder and possession of a makeshift knife in prison.
Adam Laycock said he had been involved in moving Gedel from A wing to B wing the day before Watkins was killed. In a statement read to jurors by prosecutor Chris Rose, he said: “(Gedel) didn’t want to move wings. He had mentioned a number of times that if he was moved he would do something.
“Often this is the kind of threat prisoners make and often they do nothing to carry it out. I knew Gedel would rather go to segregation than be moved to somewhere he didn’t want to be.”
Mr Laycock said he rushed to B wing on the day of Watkins’ death after hearing a “code red” called, and saw Gedel being escorted by officers. “I noticed Gedel was looking somewhat smug, and seemed to have a smirk on his face,” his statement read.
Another prison officer from A wing, Justin Barrett, said he saw Gedel being restrained after the “code red”.
He said: “I wasn’t shocked to see it was him. He had not been happy about the move from A to B wing. I heard him say he would do something to get moved to segregation.”
Jurors also heard statements from several officers who searched Gedel when he was moved to his cell after the incident.
Patrick Wilson, who was part of the jail’s dedicated search team (DST), said Gedel was laughing as he entered the cell, and responded “I used my hands,” when asked where the weapon was.
Mr Wilson said: “He kept laughing, saying things like: ‘You guys are DST, this should be the highlight of the day’.”
Jurors were also shown bodyworn camera footage of Gedel saying “I hope he sleeps” to officers who were searching his cell.
Anthony Whiteside said Gedel was “calm and cold” throughout the search and “did not seem bothered about what had occurred”.
His statement read: “(Gedel) said something like: ‘You’ll never find it, (when asked about the weapon). He said things like: ‘I hope he sleeps’ and ‘I hope he goes to sleep’. It was clear he had hurt him.”
Watkins was jailed for 29 years in December 2013, with a further six years on licence, after admitting a string of sex offences.
The trial continues.
