Police Make Two Arrests Following Death of Ex-Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins

Two men have been arrested following the killing of Ian Watkins, the disgraced frontman of Welsh rock band Lostprophets. Watkins, who was serving a 35-year sentence for a series of appalling child sex crimes, was fatally attacked inside prison on Saturday, October 11. He was 48.

As reported by The BBC, West Yorkshire Police have confirmed the arrests of two men, aged 25 and 43, who are being held on suspicion of murder.

A Violent End Behind Bars

According to The Sun, Watkins died after another inmate reportedly slashed his throat, cutting his jugular and causing fatal blood loss before prison staff could intervene.

“Watkins has been killed in the most brutal way possible — and the attack was shocking, even by prison standards,” a source told the outlet. “Guards were nearby and raced to the scene pretty quickly — but there was nothing they could do and they could not save him.”

This was not the first time Watkins had been targeted. Just a year earlier, in 2023, he was held hostage, stabbed, and beaten by fellow inmates in a separate incident that left him with life-threatening injuries.

From Rock Stardom to Convicted Predator

Watkins was sentenced in 2013 after pleading guilty to 13 offenses, including the attempted rape of a baby, sexual assault of a child under 13, and possession of child abuse imagery and extreme pornography involving animals. His arrest shocked fans and peers alike, tarnishing the legacy of Lostprophets — a band once known for its chart-topping albums and sold-out tours.

During sentencing, the presiding judge, Mr. Justice Royce, called the crimes “plunged into new depths of depravity” and condemned Watkins’ “manipulative, corrupting influence” and total lack of remorse. Two female accomplices — mothers of his victims — were also imprisoned for their involvement.

Watkins had fronted Lostprophets since their formation in the late ’90s. The band released five albums, including Start Something and Liberation Transmission, before his arrest in 2012 brought everything to a halt. Their final album, Weapons, dropped just months before his crimes became public.

Picking Up the Pieces: Life After Lostprophets

Following Watkins’ conviction, the remaining members of Lostprophets disbanded and distanced themselves completely from their former frontman. In a 2014 interview with The Sunday Times, guitarists Mike Lewis and Lee Gaze spoke openly about the betrayal they felt — both as bandmates and as friends.

“I’ve thought about it long and hard — and I have no interest in ever speaking to him again,” Lewis said. “I feel incredibly bad for his mother and his whole family and the stigma they have to endure. But I have no interest in questioning him about it. Never.”

Gaze added:

“He’s a bit of a coward — not a tough guy by any means. To be in prison, where he’s going to be the guy from the rock band with those charges, I was worried. But then I reached a point where real resentment set in.”

After the band’s collapse, Gaze, Lewis, and a few other former members formed a new project: No Devotion. They brought in Geoff Rickly, best known as the frontman of post-hardcore outfit Thursday, to handle vocals. The new band marked a clean break from their past, both sonically and symbolically.

Though No Devotion debuted with a strong critical reception, internal shifts followed. Three original members eventually stepped away, and the group’s last album, No Oblivion, was released in 2022. While still officially active, the band’s current status remains quiet — a stark contrast to the chaos that defined the end of Lostprophets.