🔗 Share this article Cause of Child Sex Offender Singer's Prison Demise Disclosed Police Department The shamed rock star from Pontypridd was handed to 29 years in jail plus six years on extended licence Disgraced Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins died after being stabbed in the throat in an reported prison incident, an inquest has learned. Watkins, 48, died on 11 October after being assaulted at HMP Wakefield, where he had been completing a 29-year prison sentence for child sex crimes including the sexual assault of a baby. The hearing, opened earlier at Wakefield Coroner's Court, was postponed pending the completion of an related murder trial. Two individuals have been charged with murder in connection to Watkins' death while two other men, aged 23 and 39, arrested earlier this week on suspicion of plot 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 brief proceeding, had been declared deceased at the West Yorkshire prison by an attending doctor and was officially identified by a prison guard. 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 reason of death as an wound to the throat. '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 pleaded guilty to 13 offences, including conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven involving creating, making or holding inappropriate images of children and one of having an shocking image involving a sex act on an animal. Prosecutors had portrayed him as a man influenced by fame, drugs, and power who had perpetrated crimes "beyond imagination." Mr Justice Royce said the case had broken "new ground" and "descended into new levels of depravity". 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, were presented in court last week accused with his murder, but were not required to enter responses. Who Was Ian Watkins? Media Archives Watkins appearing in London in 2012 Watkins was formerly one of Wales' most famous artists - the frontman of the rock band Lostprophets. The band formed in Pontypridd in 1997, and sold millions of albums across the world. They produced five studio albums, one of which reached number one in the UK. The group also had some achievement in the US, with their second and third albums reaching the popular charts. They separated immediately after Watkins was convicted in 2013. His former group members spoke publicly about their shock and revulsion. Bassist Stuart Richardson said in 2014: "Although I was completely finished with him, I wished it was all a error, he was innocent, he had to be. "The first time, we knew the band was finished. You can't return from that." The other bandmates and American singer Geoff Rickly formed a new band, No Devotion, shortly thereafter.