Saturday (11), we are saddened to hear about the shocking death of actress Diane Keaton. However, we report on metal news. While Diane Keaton’s acting career is one many have admired, we must report, perhaps for the last time, on disgraced former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins.

While there was an attempted attack on Watkins in 2023 that left him with no major injuries, two years later, a more severe and bloody assault inside HMP Wakefield, the UK’s high-security “Monster Mansion,” has resulted in his death. Earlier today, The Sun reported that Watkins, 48, died following a violent attack. Police and medics were called to the scene Saturday morning. Still, they were unable to save him after he reportedly bled to death from a slashed throat inflicted by another inmate shortly after prisoners were unlocked from their cells.

A source told The Sun:

“Watkins has been killed in the most brutal way possible – and the attack was shocking, even by prison standards. He was targeted by another inmate who shanked him in the neck. Guards were nearby and raced to the scene pretty quickly – but there was nothing they could do, and they could not save him. It was a horrific scene, with blood everywhere and alarms and sirens going off. Police and ambulances were called and the whole prison was locked down with all cons confined to their cells.

He has been attacked a few times inside Wakefield over the last few years, so perhaps this was just a matter of time. The bloke who got him this time went for his jugular and it looks like a pre-planned attack. 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. Despite who he was, it was really shocking and gruesome. Experienced officers and a lot of the other prisoners were in absolute shock after what happened and a lot of them saw the awful scene. The inmate who attacked him used a ‘shank’ knife and he was apprehended pretty quickly. There was not much doubt about who had done it.”

West Yorkshire Police confirmed:

“At 9:39 am this morning, police were called by staff at HMP Wakefield reporting an assault on a prisoner. Emergency services attended, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. Detectives from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team are investigating, and inquiries remain ongoing at the scene.”

The prison was placed on immediate lockdown as emergency services responded. A Prison Service spokesperson confirmed that an incident had occurred but declined to comment further, stating that the investigation is ongoing.

Watkins was serving a 35-year sentence for a series of child sex offenses. While initially being part of a drug investigation, police found evidence linking him to crimes more disturbing, linking him to pedophilia. Crimes include the attempted rape of a baby, along with other horrific crimes, for which he was convicted in 2013. Once a popular frontman of the Welsh alt-metal band Lostprophets, which sold over 3.4 million albums worldwide, Watkins’s arrest ended the group’s career. His former bandmates later formed No Devotion in the aftermath of the scandal.

While incarcerated, Watkins remained a controversial figure, appearing in headlines over the years. In 2019, he received an additional sentence for possessing a banned cell phone used to contact fans. Reports also described visits from “groupies” and continued security concerns surrounding him. HMP Wakefield is the home to some of the UK’s most dangerous offenders, including high-profile murderers, terrorists, and sex offenders.

Zenae Zukowski

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