The bandmate of convicted paedophile and former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins has responded to news of his murder inside Category A prison HMP Wakefield.
The 48-year-old was serving a 29-year sentence for child sex offences when he was stabbed to death on Saturday morning.
Guitarist Lee Gaze took to X to thank a fan for their “kind words” and to share a prayer emoji, after they responded to one of his previous posts addressing Watkins.
He had started the thread in July when he posted: “It’s been 13 years since my band ended in the most unimaginable circumstances and it’s still painful to think about.
“Things could’ve been so different.”
Watkins was arrested in September 2012 after police executed a drugs warrant on his property in Pontypridd, with officers seizing a number of computers, phones and electronic equipment.
It was an analysis of these devices that led to the discovery of his offending.
In the aftermath of his guilty plea in December 2013, Mr Gaze said: “There was two sets of it [shock] because there were the accusations – which was one thing.
“And then there was the actual, ‘Yeah I did do it’ which was a year later. He dragged that out for a year, so we got hit by it twice.”
He added: “How could you know? How would you know?
“Who would disclose such a thing to five people, who between them have eight children? You just wouldn’t because they would be killed on the spot.”
Among the disturbing videos due to be shown at his trial included his attempted rape of a baby and a webcam chat in which he instructed a crazed fan to abuse her child.
Emergency services were sent to the prison in West Yorkshire on Saturday, 11 October, but Watkins was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two men, aged 25 and 43, have been arrested and are in custody, police said.
The prison went into lockdown in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: “Detectives have launched a murder investigation after the death of a man in HMP Wakefield.
“Officers were called by staff at the prison at 9.39am this morning to reports of a serious assault on a prisoner.
“A man aged 48 was found with serious injuries. Despite medical attention he was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Two men aged 25 and 43 have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently in police custody.
“Detectives from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team are investigating and inquiries remain ongoing.”
