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Shamed Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins passed away after being attacked in the throat in an reported prison incident, an investigation has heard.

Watkins, 48, died on 11 October after being targeted at HMP Wakefield, where he had been serving a 29-year prison sentence for child sex crimes including the sexual assault of a baby.

The inquest, opened earlier at Wakefield Coroner's Court, was adjourned pending the completion of an associated murder trial.

Two men have been accused with murder in relation to Watkins' death while two other suspects, aged 23 and 39, arrested earlier this week on allegation of plot to murder were sent back to prison as investigations continued.

Coroner Findings

Coroner Oliver Longstaff said Watkins, who was identified by his full name of Ian David Karslake Watkins during the brief proceeding, had been pronounced dead at the West Yorkshire prison by an on-call doctor and was officially identified by a prison officer.

Mr Longstaff said emergency services were summoned to the jail "after a report he had been attacked in the neck".

The examiner said a post-mortem report gave the reason of death as an incision to the neck.

'Depths of Depravity'

In 2013 at Cardiff Crown Court, Watkins denied rape but confessed to the sexual assault and abuse of a child under 13.

He pleaded guilty to 13 crimes, including conspiring to rape a child, three counts of abuse involving children, seven involving creating, making or holding inappropriate images of children and one of possessing an shocking image involving a sex act on an animal.

Prosecutors had described him as a man corrupted by fame, substances, and influence who had committed crimes "exceeding imagination."

Mr Justice Royce said the case had broken "new ground" and "plunged into new levels of depravity".

Watkins was also attacked in prison in 2023. After that incident, he was taken to hospital with wounds which were not life-threatening.

Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, were presented in court last week charged with his murder, but were not required to enter responses.

Who Was Ian Watkins?

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Watkins was once one of Wales' most famous musicians - the lead singer of the rock band Lostprophets.

The band formed in Pontypridd in 1997, and distributed millions of albums across the world.

They released five studio albums, one of which reached number one in the UK.

The group also had some success in the US, with their second and third albums attaining the popular charts.

They disbanded promptly after Watkins was found guilty in 2013.

His former group members spoke publicly about their surprise and revulsion.

Bassist Stuart Richardson said in 2014: "Although I was completely done with him, I wished it was all a error, he was innocent, he had to be.

"The first time, we knew the band was done. You can't return from that."

The other bandmates and American singer Geoff Rickly formed a new band, No Devotion, soon after.