Prisoner accused of murdering paedophile singer Ian Watkins refused to attend Leeds court hearing
A prisoner accused of murdering infamous paedophile Ian Watkins has made his first appearance at Leeds Crown Court this morning, while his co-accused refused to attend.
Samuel Dodsworth, 43, is charged with stabbing fellow inmate Watkins to death at HMP Wakefield on Saturday morning. He appeared over a video link from the prison’s segregation unit this morning.
But 25-year-old Rico Gedel refused to attend over the video link, it was heard.
Dodsworth was not arraigned during the brief, five-minute hearing , but a potential trial date for the pair was earmarked for May 5, should it be required. The trial would be expected to last for around two weeks.
They are next due to appear on November 12 where they will be expected to enter pleas to a murder charge.
A 999 call was made to police at around 9.39am on Saturday to reports that a prisoner had been seriously assaulted.
Watkins, a former singer with successful Welsh rock band, Lostprophets, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Reports suggest he was stabbed to death.
The 48-year-old was serving a 29-year sentence for a string of child-sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.
The sentencing judge told Watkins he had "plunged into new depths of depravity" and had shown little remorse for his sickening crimes.
He was 12 years into his sentence, and had previously been attacked in 2023, although he escaped with minor injuries.
Watkins was also found guilty after a trial of possessing a banned phone in prison in 2019, using it to contact a woman with whom he had previously had a relationship.