The jury for the trial of two prisoners accused of the homicide of pedophile Ian Watkins has been dismissed for authorized causes.
The disgraced former Lostprophets frontman was reportedly stabbed to loss of life final October by Rico Gedel, 25, in his cell on the high-security HMP Wakefield, the place he was serving a 29-year jail sentence for intercourse crimes with youngsters.
Leeds Crown Court docket heard that after strolling out of the cell, Gedel handed the makeshift knife to fellow inmate Samuel Dodsworth, 44, who threw it in a bin.
Each defendants denied murdering Watkins and possessing a knife in jail.
On Friday the choose, Mr Justice Hilliard, dismissed the jury, telling them: ‘It’s with nice reluctance that I’m going to dismiss you and the case must be reheard.
“That is disappointing for you and for everybody.”
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Gedel informed the trial he hated being positioned with intercourse offenders in Wakefield and had threatened to harm “any variety of pedophiles” if he was not transferred.
Gedel stated “part of him” wished to kill Watkins, however one other half didn’t, including, “Generally what your coronary heart needs shouldn’t be what your mind needs.”
Prosecutors had stated Gedel and Dodsworth had been each responsible of homicide as a result of Dodsworth “knew the assault was going to occur” and helped Gedel by throwing away the knife.
Dodsworth, who’s serving a sentence for raping a lady, stated he performed no position within the assault and was merely within the incorrect place on the incorrect time.
Watkins was sentenced to 29 years in jail in December 2013, with an additional six years suspended, after admitting a string of intercourse offences, together with the tried rape of a fan’s child.
In 2019, an additional 10 months had been added to his sentence after he was caught in possession of a banned cell phone, which an ex-girlfriend had tipped off the jail to.
Watkins had already been attacked ‘a couple of instances in Wakefield’ in recent times as a result of nature of his crimes.
This included an incident in 2023, when Watkins was ‘combating for his life’ after being stabbed repeatedly. He was rushed to hospital after officers discovered him six hours after he was taken hostage by three different inmates.
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