A prisoner accused of murdering paedophile Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins told jail staff: “If I’ve killed him, you could be talking to someone famous,” prosecutors have told a jury.
Former rock star Watkins was stabbed to death in his cell at high security HMP Wakefield, where he was serving a 29-year sentence for child sexual offences.
Leeds Crown Court heard serving prisoner Rico Gedel went into Watkins’ cell less than 20 minutes after it was unlocked for the morning, on October 11 last year, and stabbed him three times in the head and neck with a home-made knife.
Gedel then handed the weapon to fellow inmate Samuel Dodsworth, who disposed of it in a bin.
Prosecutors said the attack lasted just 20 seconds and Gedel was “perky” when he was detained by prison officers afterwards, allegedly saying “Have a good night’s sleep Watkins lad”, when he was taken past the cell where the former singer was receiving medical treatment.
He later told police that he was jealous of “nonce prisoners” because they “got treated like royalty,” and that he thought it was disgusting having to share a wing with sex offenders at HMP Wakefield, where they were not segregated.
Gedel, 25, who was initially referred to by police as Rashid Gedel, and Dodsworth, 44, both deny murder and possession of a makeshift knife in prison.
Prosecutors say the attack was “a joint offence” between the two defendants, and Dodsworth knew it was going to happen.
Opening the case to jurors on Thursday, Tom Storey KC said Watkins, who was a “particularly notorious and high-profile” prisoner, received two notes the day before he was killed which accused him of getting another prisoner kicked off the wing, demanded money from him and threatened violence.
Mr Storey said that although it was unclear whether these notes lay behind the attack, prisons are places where “grudges are borne, and acted upon… and where ‘grassing’ or ‘snitching’ on others is viewed in a poor light”.
The court heard Gedel had been moved into the same wing as Watkins and Dodsworth the day before the attack, and “coincidentally” put in the cell next to Watkins.
On the morning of Watkins’ death, prison officers started unlocking the cells on B wing after 9am, and Gedel left his cell, but Watkins chose to remain inside.
The court heard Gedel and Dodsworth met in another prisoner’s cell, and that Dodsworth entered the cell with a “dressing gown or towel wrapped up in a bundle” before leaving without it.
After talking to Dodsworth and another inmate, Gedel briefly went back into his own cell and then stood leaning against the railings, while Dodsworth “loitered” near the top of the stairs and appeared to be acting as a “lookout”, jurors heard.
Mr Storey said: “At this time Gedel was, in all likelihood, waiting for a moment when the prison officers on the landing were out of sight, and when he would have an opportunity to carry out the planned attack on Mr Watkins.”
CCTV showed Gedel going into Watkins’ cell just before 9.20am and leaving just 20 seconds later, before walking towards Dodsworth and passing him something.
Dodsworth glanced at the item and put it in the pocket of his jogging bottoms, jurors heard.
Footage showed Watkins emerging briefly from his cell with blood visible on the neck of his T-shirt.
Two workmen who were carrying out maintenance work in the prison saw he was holding his hand to his neck, and bleeding from a wound.
They signalled for help and three prison officers ran towards Watkins’ cell, where he was bleeding from his injuries.
One officer used his radio to summon urgent help while pressing a towel against a “particularly large wound” to the side of Watkins’ neck.
Mr Storey said he asked who had done this, and Watkins “said something to the effect of ‘that little black fella’”.
Watkins, from Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, collapsed onto his bed and lost consciousness.
Paramedics were unable to resuscitate him and he was declared dead just before 10.15am.
Mr Storey said that as prison officers ran to take hold of Gedel, he “just stood there, holding his arms outstretched and offering no resistance to them whatsoever”.
As he was being taken back to his cell, he passed Watkins’ open door and said: “Have a good night’s sleep, Watkins lad,” jurors heard.
Mr Storey said staff who were told to observe Gedel through the hatch in his cell door commented on “his perky demeanour”.
“He discussed with one of them the offence that had led to him being imprisoned at HMP Wakefield in the first place, and he said something to the effect of ‘If I’m going to do life for murder, I’m going to make sure it’s worth it’,” the prosecutor said.
“He also told the same officer, ‘If I’ve killed him, you could be talking to someone famous’.”
Before all prisoners were locked in their cells, Dodsworth was seen going into an alcove with some bins.
A homemade knife with blood on it was found at the bottom of one of the bins by prison officers.
When Gedel was interviewed by police the next day, he said he felt jealous of what he called “nonce prisoners” (sex offenders), because they got treated like royalty, the court heard.
He told officers that there was no segregation between sex offenders and other prisoners in HMP Wakefield and he “thought it was disgusting having to share wings with offenders like that,” Mr Storey said.
When asked who had caused the injuries to Watkins, Gedel replied, “God (who) does everything.”
Dodsworth told police he had not been involved in the incident and tried to give the knife back to Gedel.
He said he put the blade in the bin “in panic” after seeing Watkins standing at his door with a big gash on his neck.
Mr Storey said: “He (said he) knew that Watkins was high profile, and that he was serving a sentence for sexual offences, but other than that did not know much about him.
“He said that sometimes Watkins would get beaten up, and sometimes he wouldn’t – Wakefield was a high-risk prison.”
The trial continues.
