Watkins' crimes 'didn't justify killing' - court

The crimes committed by jailed Lostprophets' frontman Ian Watkins "did not justify his killing in any way", a jury has been told.

The disgraced singer was attacked in his cell at high-security HMP Wakefield on 11 October last year.

Leeds Crown Court heard Rico Gedel stabbed Watkins three times with a makeshift knife, with fellow prisoner Samuel Dodsworth putting the blade in a bin. Gedel, 25, and Dodsworth, 44, both deny murder and possessing a knife in prison.

Giving his closing speech to jurors on Monday, prosecutor Tom Storey KC said Watkins had "done nothing whatsoever to provoke this attack in the time leading up to it".

Watkins was jailed for 29 years in 2013 after admitting a string of sex offences, including the attempted rape of a fan's baby.

"However heinous his crimes were, that did not justify his killing in any way," Storey told the court.

Gedel told the trial he hated being housed with sex offenders at the prison and had threatened to hurt "any number of paedophiles" if he was not transferred.

He said he selected Watkins largely due to "proximity", as he had been put in the cell next to him the night before.

Gedel told the court that "part of him" wanted to kill Watkins, but another part did not, adding: "Sometimes what your heart wants is not what your brain wants."

Storey told jurors that Gedel "made clear to you his hatred of sex offenders".

He told them they would be considering whether this is "what ultimately underpinned the decision to attack Ian Watkins in the way he did".

Storey said that when asked by a prison officer why he had chosen Watkins, bodyworn camera footage showed Gedel saying he "thought he was the best one".

The prosecutor told jurors that Watkins had no defensive injuries and there was no sign of a struggle in the cell, meaning he had "in all likelihood been taken completely by surprise by this attack".

He said Gedel was seen grinning and laughing after the stabbing, asking prison officers to "let me know when he dies".

"Was he being sarcastic or was he expressing from the very outset the hope that Ian Watkins would die?," Storey asked.

The court heard Gedel said in his evidence that Dodsworth had given him the makeshift knife, a claim Dodsworth denies.

Storey said Gedel described Dodsworth as "resourceful" and "someone who could obtain things for you".

The prosecutor told jurors that CCTV of Gedel handing Dodsworth the knife after the attack shows him walking towards Gedel as if he "knew what he was doing".

He said this contradicted Dodsworth's claim that he was surprised by Gedel and tried to hand the knife back to him.

Peter Moulson KC, defending Gedel, said Watkins was still on his feet when he had left the cell, adding: "If you were dead set on wanting to kill, wouldn't you make sure you had done?"

Moulson added: "Is there evidence he just wanted to cause some harm, not serious bodily harm?"

Judge Mr Justice Hilliard told the jury there was no dispute that Gedel was guilty of at least manslaughter.

It was agreed that a "deliberate, unlawfully inflicted injury caused Ian Watkins' death".

The trial continues.

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