Paedophile singer Ian Watkins was taken hostage in jail 'because inmates got jealous about his guitar lessons'
7 August 2023, 08:51
Ex-Lostprophets singer and convicted paedophile Ian Watkins was taken hostage in prison for six hours over guitar lessons.
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The disgraced musician was cut in the neck with a knife during the incident at HMP Wakefield on Saturday.
Visitors said two of the three inmates who attacked him were murderers.
It has now been claimed he was attacked over guitar lessons he was giving to some of the prisoners, while his fame and jealousy about his younger girlfriend were also thought to have made him a target.
"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," a source told The Sun.
"He is also high-profile and 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."
Watkins is serving a 35-year sentence handed down in 2013 over child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.
The 46-year-old is stable in hospital after being injured by a knife as he was captured by the three inmates.
The hostage situation is said to have ended when specially-trained riot officers arrived, throwing stun grenades into the cell as they attempted to end the siege and free Watkins.
A source said: "They got hold of him on B-wing and dragged him into a cell where they roughed him up and barricaded themselves in.
"He was screaming and was obviously terrified and in fear of his life. They put the whole wing on lockdown and then sent in riot teams."
They added: "Other prisoners heard three loud flash bangs which was when the officers got into the cell and threw grenades to stun the attackers and take them by surprise.
"It seems like the prison officers might have saved his life."
In court, Watkins was described as a "determined and committed paedophile", with the judge hearing horrific details of a sickening 17-minute video shot in a London hotel room involving Watkins performing sex acts on a child.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: "Police are investigating an incident which took place on Saturday at HMP Wakefield. We are unable to comment further while the police investigate."
