The music world was shocked this week when news broke of the murder of Ian Watkins, the former frontman of U.K. band Lostprophets. According to BBC News, authorities charged two men – one of whom is drill rapper Broadday – for the prison attack on the convicted child sex offender.
Broadday, whose real name is Rashid Gedel, reportedly appeared in Leeds' Magistrate Court on Monday morning (October 13) and did not enter pleas during the short hearings. The court informed the 25-year-old and his alleged co-perpetrator, 43-year-old Samuel Dodsworth, that they will appear in Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday.
What Did Ian Watkins Do?
For those unaware, both men received charges for allegedly fatally assaulting Watkins in the maximum security HMP Wakefield prison in West Yorkshire on Saturday morning (October 11). The 48-year-old singer was serving a 29-year sentence since 2013 for various child sex crimes, including the attempted rape of an infant. He admitted to attempted sexual assault but denied the act, also admitting to conspiring to rape a child, sexual assault of children, child pornography, and animal pornography.
Watkins previously faced an assault from behind bars back in 2023, sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. A report from earlier this year suggested the Wakefield prison had a "marked increase" in violent activity. In addition, the report claimed its "infrastructure was in a poor state," stemming from "repeated breakdowns of essential equipment" and "some significant elements of the prison's perimeter security systems."
Back to this murder case, though, at these individual and consecutive hearings, suspects Broadday and Dodsworth only confirmed their names and dates of birth. They will presumably remain in custody until their next court hearing, which could determine a whole host of possible outcomes and consequences.
Per a separate BBC News report, the U.K. drill rapper received a life sentence in August of 2023 for the fatal 2021 stabbing of 22-year-old aspiring lawyer Sven Badzak, which was reportedly a case of mistaken identity. As such, these murder charges represent a huge legal obstacle amid an already tough situation. We will see if there are any other updates in this case and whether or not more revelations emerge.
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