Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse some readers may find distressing.
Lee Gaze, co-founder and former guitarist of Lostprophets, has broken his silence following the death of disgraced frontman Ian Watkins, who was murdered in prison on October 11.
Watkins, 48, was serving a lengthy sentence at HM Prison Wakefield in West Yorkshire for 13 child sex offenses, including attempted rape of a baby, sexually assaulting a one-year-old, and possessing extreme pornographic material.
He was fatally stabbed in the neck by a fellow inmate during a violent attack shortly after morning cells were unlocked. Despite emergency medical efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gaze Reacts to His Bandmate's Death
Following Watkins’ death, a 2010 interview of the singer resurfaced on social media, in which he spoke about his “guilty pleasure.” One user speculated that Watkins' crimes “might’ve been an open secret within the band".
Gaze swiftly responded: “Watch what you say online, or be prepared to back it up. You’ve been warned.” In a separate post, he added: “Yeh, and that sick c*** obvs knew what he was saying. I can assure you had any of us known he’d never of made it as far as prison."
Final Tweet Resurfaces Amid Prison Killing
In the wake of the musician's murder, attention has returned to a chilling final message posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account the day before his 2012 arrest. The tweet, dated December 16, 2012, read: “Well......that escalated pretty quickly......I do apologise....”
Though the tweet’s context remains unclear, earlier posts suggested he had been commenting on a film, writing: “Turns out the 'Home n Away esque movie with really s**t CGI and worse acting' that's on TV right now is actually one of those Twilight films."
The account was controversially reactivated four years later to share SoundCloud music links. While prison officials claimed he had no access to a phone, Watkins was later caught with one in 2018 and received an additional 10-month sentence.
Brutal Killing Inside “Monster Mansion”
The 48-year-old was serving a 29-year sentence at Wakefield Prison, nicknamed “Monster Mansion” for its high-security population of violent offenders, when he was ambushed inside shortly after the morning cell unlock.
“Watkins has been killed in the most brutal way possible, and the attack was shocking, even by prison standards,” a source told The Sun. “Guards were nearby and raced to the scene pretty quickly - but there was nothing they could do, and they could not save him.”
Another prison source added that Watkins “was obviously high-profile and in for the most disgusting crimes. So that meant he was walking around with a target on his back, and this has happened".
The deceased singer himself had previously described the dangerous environment of the prison, telling a court he was incarcerated with: “murderers, mass murderers, r*pists, paedophiles, serial killers - the worst of the worst.”
West Yorkshire Police confirmed two men, Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, have been charged with murder and are set to appear in court.