mxdwn.co.uk » Ian Watkins https://www.mxdwn.co.uk all that matters in music in the UK Wed, 13 May 2026 23:40:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1 Former Lostprophets Singer Ian Watkins Sentenced to a Further 10 Months in Prison for Being in Possession of a Mobile Phone https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/former-lostprophets-singer-ian-watkins-sentenced-to-a-further-10-months-in-prison-for-being-in-possession-of-a-mobile-phone/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/former-lostprophets-singer-ian-watkins-sentenced-to-a-further-10-months-in-prison-for-being-in-possession-of-a-mobile-phone/#comments Sat, 10 Aug 2019 13:47:04 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=12635 Ian Watkins, former Lostprophets frontman and convicted paedophile, has been sentenced to an additional ten months, in prison, for being in possession of a mobile phone. The 42-year-old appeared, at Leeds Crown Court, on Friday the 9th of August 2019 to hear his sentence after he was found with the phone, in his possession, while serving time, in HMP Wakefield, West Yorkshire, where he is serving a sentence for sex offences.

The convicted sex offender and former Lostprophets singer is currently serving a 29-year sentence and this week he has been sentenced to a further 10 months, in prison, for possessing a mobile phone, which he denied. This sentence comes on top of the current 29-year sentence, which he is currently serving for a number of child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.

The news comes after it was revealed, in court last week, that Watkins “put mobile phone up his anus to hide it from prison officers.” Watkins denied the charge, with Sky News reporting, that he was forced to hold onto the phone by two inmates, who wanted to use women who were contacting Watkins by mail as a “revenue stream”.

While giving evidence, at Leeds Crown Court, he refused to give up the names of the two men, who allegedly forced him to hold the phone, but he did say they were “murderers and handy”. He continued, “you would not want to mess with them.” The former singer also said that the people he is currently locked up with are “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst.”

As previously reported by MXDWN UK, Watkins previously pleaded not guilty to possessing a mobile phone in his cell, at a hearing, back in February, but was found guilty on Friday (09 August) and sentenced to an additional ten months on top of his current sentence. Officials at HMP Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, allegedly removed Watkins from his cell after being given information he was illegally storing a phone, back in March of 2018.

Leeds Crown Court heard that nothing was found when Watkins was strip-searched, but it was then revealed that he told a prison officer that he would give up a mobile phone, that he was in possession of, if he would be allowed to see his mother – who was due to visit him in prison later that day. According to Wales Online, Watkins then reached into his underwear and produced a small mobile phone. The court also heard that a subsequent search of Watkins’ cell also uncovered a small phone charger.

Prosecutor Stephen Wood told the court: “Between March 4 and March 10, 2018 the defendant was in possession of a mobile phone while inside HMP Wakefield. On March 10 a prison officer at HMP Wakefield went to the defendant’s cell. The intention was to remove the defendant to a sterile cell so he could be searched.

“The prison had received information the defendant was in possession of a phone. The defendant was searched and nothing was found. During the search the defendant was asked if he had a mobile phone about him and he replied he did not.”

Mr Wood added: “After the search the defendant said his mother was travelling to visit him and he asked if he would still be allowed to see her. When the prison officer went back… he asked if he could still have the visit if he handed over the telephone. The officer asked if he had a phone and he [Watkins] replied that he did. The defendant reached in to his underwear and towards his anus. After about 10 seconds the defendant then produced a small white telephone.”

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The 41-year-old, Welsh singer, is currently serving 35 years, for a string of depraved child sex offences – including the attempted rape of a baby. The news comes as he appeared in Leeds Crown Court, this morning (March 14) to face the charge against him, and if found guilty of the unauthorised possession of a mobile phone he could face additional prison time.

Watkins has denied being in possession of a mobile phone in his cell, at HMP Wakefield, between the dates of March 4th and 10th, last year. Appearing in court via video link, Watkins pleaded not guilty to one count of the unauthorised possession of a mobile phone. During the hearing at Leeds Crown Court, Watkins spoke only to confirm his name and enter a plea of not guilty.

Prosecutor Stephen Wood, said: “The issue here is that he was in possession of a mobile phone in his cell. I’m not going into specific details about what was found on that phone. The jury will have to know about his previous convictions.” His trial, which is expected to last five days, has been scheduled for the 5th of August 2019.

This latest charge comes after he pleaded guilty, at Cardiff Crown Court, in 2013, to 13 child sex offences, which included the sexual assault of a child under 13 – (which involved an 11-month old baby boy); conspiring to rape an infant girl, attempted rape of a child under 13; taking, making, or possessing images of children; possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a sex act on an animal.

Watkins was sentenced to 29 years in prison with an additional six years on extended licence. The shamed rock star will be eligible for parole after serving two thirds of his sentence. He was sentenced alongside two mothers, of his victims, who willing assisted Watkins, both pleaded guilty to child abuse charges.

The two mothers, aged 21 and 24, who were not named in court to protect the identity of their children — were charged alongside Watkins. His two co-defendants, the mothers of his victims, known only as ‘Women A’ and ‘Women B’ and aged 21 and 24, received sentences of 14 and 17 years in prison respectively.

Watkins’ conviction was not the end of his offences, in 2017, a child was taken into care after Watkins was found to be grooming a mother while in prison. The mother in question had been a fan since she was 16, and visited Watkins in prison after receiving letters in which he claimed that he loved her. The child was then taken into care after social services were alerted of her contact with the disgraced singer.

Speaking about the incident, an NSPCC spokesman, said: “We’re sickened. It’s utterly bewildering that he could carry on grooming. It shows contempt for children he abused, and raises serious questions about supervision.”

]]> https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/ian-watkins-convicted-paedophile-and-former-lostprophets-singer-denies-having-phone-in-prison/feed/ 0 Ian Watkins’ Twitter account begins posting whilst singer remains in jail https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/ian-watkins-twitter-account-begins-posting-whilst-singer-remains-in-jail/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/ian-watkins-twitter-account-begins-posting-whilst-singer-remains-in-jail/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2016 22:17:57 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=5318 NME is reporting that the Twitter account of ex-Lostprophets singer has become active again, despite the convicted paedophile being in jail since December 2013.

Watkins was sentenced to 29 years, plus six years on license, following a series of serious child sex offences. Watkins also later lost his appeal to reduce his jail time, with judges ruling that the “shocking depravity” of the crimes justified the sentence’s length.

Recently there had been speculation that Watkins had been moved to HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire, but on November 21 Watkins’ verified Twitter account posted it’s first tweets since December 2012. All three tweets contained Soundcloud links, including two tracks uploaded by Watkins’ side project L’Amour La Morgue, as well as a more recent upload by an account named Megalelz, clearly taking influence from Watkins’ previously famous catchphrase ‘Mega Lolz’.

Team Rock also reports that Lostprophets’ official website was updated yesterday. This is also odd, because Watkins’ former bandmates now perform with Thursday frontman Geoff Rickley in the band No Devotion.

Upon Watkins’ initial arrest in 2012, guitarist Lee Gaze told BBC Newsbeat that none of the band’s members knew anything about the crimes being committed.“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.” Gaze also claimed that the band were not on good terms at the time of the arrest, and would have broken up regardless of Watkins’ arrest.

 

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