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Trial of Two Men Accused of Killing Ian Watkins Delayed to Wednesday

The case will open at Leeds Crown Court before Mr Justice Hilliard.

Overview

  • The trial, which was due to start Tuesday, has been postponed by a day and is now set for Wednesday.
  • Rashid (Rico) Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, are charged with murdering Watkins, 48, at HMP Wakefield on October 11, 2025.
  • The hearing will take place at Leeds Crown Court before The Honourable Mr Justice Hilliard, with local coverage reporting both men deny the attack.
  • Watkins was the former Lostprophets frontman and was serving a 29-year sentence, plus six years on licence, for serious child sex offences after a 2012 arrest and device seizures at his home.
  • He had previously been attacked in custody in 2023 and was later convicted in 2019 of possessing a mobile phone in prison, details that have fueled public interest in the security of high-profile inmates.