The previous Lostprophets star was stabbed to dying on Saturday morning
A former jail officer has mentioned whoever attacked disgraced rock star Ian Watkins will probably be “given bonus factors” by different prisoners. The paedophile rock star, who was serving a 29-year sentence for baby intercourse offences, was stabbed to dying at HMP Wakefield on Saturday morning.
Emergency companies have been known as to the jail in West Yorkshire however Pontypridd-born Watkins was pronounced useless on the scene.
Sources claimed the jail went into lockdown instantly afterwards. Tony Cottenden, who was a jail officer for 9 years, instructed The Mirror that on items which have a separate touchdown for paedophiles, there’s normally little integration with different offenders. He added that these convicted of kid intercourse offences have been “not seen kindly from different commonplace offenders”.
The ex-prison guard defined that when an offender is high-profile, like Watkins, it is probably that anybody who assaults them will “get quite a lot of bonus factors” and acquire respect from different inmates. For the most important tales in Wales first, signal as much as our each day publication right here.
Mr Cottenden instructed the Mirror: “Clearly paedophiles will not be seen kindly from different commonplace offenders. When somebody’s excessive profile, it is quite common for there to be… you may get quite a lot of bonus factors, let’s consider, in the event you handle to assault somebody like that from the way you stand as an offender within the jail itself.”
One more reason an inmate might get “bonus factors” is for attacking a prisoner within the occasion the place “a weak prisoner had debt to pay, and that was a possible factor to wipe the debt”.
Mr Cottenden additionally defined that it could possibly be completed as a approach of somebody “seeking to climb the rankings”. He mentioned that if paedophiles have been in a unit with the remainder of the jail inhabitants, they have been normally escorted by an officer for his or her security.
“In the event that they’re alongside a standard inhabitants or if they should go someplace, they’re normally taken there by an officer and a few prisons have separate motion so normally most offenders transfer across the jail on one thing generally known as free move,” he mentioned.
He defined that this assault will most likely imply different baby offenders at HMP Wakefield will face few freedom of actions and never have “a really nice expertise” in jail. The previous jail employee mentioned that for paedophiles, normally “the whole lot is separate”.
Mr Cottenden mentioned baby intercourse offenders are “normally simply on the touchdown stuffed with different weak prisoners, whether or not that be paedophiles or folks which can be on energetic paperwork,” for instance these on suicide watch, or folks “that may’t address the jail atmosphere”.
Watkins, 48, was jailed for 29 years in December 2013 with an extra six years on licence, having admitted a string of intercourse offences which included the tried rape of a fan’s child.
The disgraced singer was arrested following the execution of a medication warrant at his residence in Pontypridd on September 21, 2012 when numerous computer systems, cellphones and storage units have been seized. Subsequent evaluation of the gear uncovered Watkins’ wicked behaviour.
A Jail Service spokesperson mentioned: “We’re conscious of an incident at HMP Wakefield which occurred on Saturday morning. We’re unable to remark additional whereas the police examine.”
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police mentioned: “At 9.39am on Saturday, police have been known as by workers at HMP Wakefield reporting an assault on a prisoner. Emergency companies attended and the person was pronounced useless on the scene a short while later.
“Detectives from the Murder and Main Enquiry Crew are investigating and inquiries stay ongoing on the scene.”
In 2023, Watkins was taken to hospital after being attacked however on the time police confirmed his accidents weren’t believed to be life-threatening. A supply instructed the Mirror he had been taken hostage by three different inmates.
He was jailed for an extra 10 months in 2019, on prime of the sentence he was serving for baby intercourse offences, after he was discovered responsible of possessing a cell phone in jail. The singer claimed two inmates compelled him to maintain the telephone so they might contact ladies who despatched him fan mail and use them as a “income stream”.
In his proof, the defendant refused to call the boys, however mentioned: “You wouldn’t wish to mess with them.” He additionally mentioned his fellow inmates have been “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst”.
Decide Rodney Jameson KC mentioned he didn’t settle for Watkins had the telephone, for 5 days, as a result of he had been threatened.
Throughout the five-day trial at Leeds Crown Courtroom, the jury heard Watkins was strip-searched within the jail in March 2018 after which produced a small telephone from his physique after he grew to become involved he wouldn’t have the ability to see his mom who was visiting from Wales. In 2014, Watkins was instructed he couldn’t enchantment in opposition to the size of his 29-year jail time period.
The paedophile’s attorneys claimed he ought to have his jail time period diminished as a result of his last-minute responsible plea stopped a jury from having to observe his home-made baby abuse footage. Nonetheless the Courtroom of Attraction, sitting in Cardiff, turned down his software for go away for an enchantment, with presiding choose Lord Justice Pitchford saying: “These have been offences in opposition to toddler youngsters of such surprising depravity {that a} very prolonged sentence of imprisonment was demanded.
“It isn’t demonstrated the entire sentence of 29 years along with the prolonged licence interval was arguably manifestly extreme. Accordingly, the appliance in his case is refused.” Among the many disturbing movies on account of be proven at his trial included his tried rape of a child and a webcam chat through which he instructed a crazed fan to abuse her baby.
Watkins was given 14 and 15-year consecutive jail phrases for participating in sexual exercise with a toddler and the tried rape of an 11-month-old child. He was additionally convicted of 11 different offences – with these sentences working alongside his 29-year time period.
