Ian Watkins (Lost Prophets) pays for protection after stabbing in prison, according to an inmate

Ian Watkinsthe former frontman of the Welsh band Lost Prophetsis reportedly paying money for protection money following an incident involving drugs and an unauthorized cell phone in which he stab with an improvised weapon in HMP Wakefield, also known as “Monster Mansion”.

According to interviews for the book Inside Wakefield Prison: Life Behind Bars in the Monster Mansion, inmates at the prison, which is known for its rough treatment of certain types of offenders, are said to have taken advantage of Watkins’ access to funds for his safety and protection. This situation arose after Watkins was reportedly stabbed to death within the prison walls in connection with a drug debt problem.

One prisoner revealed to the authors:

He is hated by many, but since W Prison is made up of a mixed group of vice presidents, high-ranking gangsters, drug importers and organized crime, they simply take money from him (Watkins) for his safety.

He has spent thousands on protection money and the latest stabbing was a reminder that he has to pay for it. He took a quantity of spice from a prisoner, worth around £150 in prison.

Since it was Watkins, he was told he owed £900. He was high and refused to pay, so he was stabbed in the side with a sharpened toilet brush.

One inmate, who described Watkins as a “tall, thin man who dyes his thinning hair black with dye purchased from the prison service,” told interviewers that Watkins was caught with a phone.

The source explained:

He had paid a Liverpool gang member £1,000 to use the phone and when he was caught with it he had to pay £5,000. That’s a fact; I know the guy who lent him the phone. Watkins is in C Wing of HMP W.

His field of work is education. He buys protection and his most recent knife attack was due to drug debts. He is considered despicable among other criminals (due to his involvement in sex crimes against babies). He pays for his protection.

The disgraced singer was jailed in December 2013 for multiple counts of sexual assault on children and attempted rape of a baby. Watkins will serve 29 years in prison, followed by six years of probation. Despite reports suggesting his criminal past, Watkins continues to have a following and still receives numerous letters from female admirers.

Watkins could be eligible for parole in 2031, but his release depends on several factors, including whether he is involved in any incidents between now and then.

(via The Mirror)