‘They wanted revenge’
Ian Watkins was reportedly taken hostage and stabbed over guitar lessons.
The Sun claimed that the shamed Lostprophets frontman was targeted Saturday after inmates got jealous about him giving lessons to other criminals in Wakefield prison.
The 46-year-old remains seriously ill in hospital after being locked in his cell and stabbed by other prisoners during an almost six-hour ordeal.
The Mirror reported that he was brutally beaten and stabbed in the neck by three prisoners in a planned attack, with inmates waiting until weekend staffing levels kicked in. So serious were his injuries, Watkins is understood to have received emergency treatment from paramedics in an ambulance on the prison estate.
The prison had to wait until a ‘Tornado Crew’ could be assembled – specialist officers trained in hostage situations – before trying to free Watkins, the Mirror reported, after being attacked on a wing where 70 per cent of the prisoners are serving life and 20 percent serving 10 years or more.
The Sun reported that two of the three inmates to attack Watkins were murderers.
A source told the publication of the incident: “He was known to have hangers-on who asked him about music and being a rock star.
“He even gave some of them guitar lessons — which made other inmates in there angry so they wanted revenge.”
The source added that because Watkins is so high-profile, “a lot of the lads in there think they will get a move to another jail if they attack someone well-known.”
“They want to be shifted out of Wakefield, although it does not usually work like that,” the source said.
Jealousy over his younger girlfriend, who visited him regularly, was also said to be a factor.
A Prison Service spokesperson said police were investigating an incident that took place at the prison on Saturday.
They added: “We are unable to comment further while the police investigate”.
Watkins was jailed for 35 years in 2013 for 13 offences against children, including the attempted rape of a baby.
In 2014, he was refused the right to appeal his sentence, with Lord Justice Christopher Pitchford saying the crimes were of “such shocking depravity” that the long sentence was called for.
During sentencing, Mr Justice Royce said the case broke “new ground” and “plunged into new depths of depravity”.
Watkins admitted the attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 13 but pleaded not guilty to rape.
As a rock star in his 20s, Watkins sold millions of albums around the world and commanded huge arena crowds.
Formed in 1997, Welsh rock band Lostprophets released five studio albums, including a number-one album in the UK and two Top 10 singles.
They also enjoyed success in the US, where their second and third albums both reached the Top 40.
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