WATKINS
Ian

Rock Star’s Final Deceit Convicted paedophile and former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins was still writing love letters to a secret fiancée up until the day before his brutal death in prison, according to reports. Watkins, 48, was serving a 29-year sentence for a series of child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby. Once a chart-topping rock star, he became one of Britain’s most reviled inmates after his 2013 conviction, when a judge said he had sunk to “new depths of depravity.” Despite nearly a decade behind bars, Watkins allegedly continued to manipulate fans. One woman, identified only as Ellie, said she began writing to him after his arrest and maintained correspondence for ten years — a relationship she described as “controlling and obsessive.” A letter she received just before his death was signed off with disturbing familiarity: “Duchess. Didn’t think I’d forget your birthday did you. They won’t keep us apart forever. Your Duke. IW.” Ellie told The Sun she had once believed she was “special” to him but later realised he thrived on control, often demanding replies and berating her when she didn’t respond quickly enough. Watkins’ letters also contained bizarre boasts about surviving a previous prison attack and being compared to actor Johnny Depp, showing little remorse for his crimes. He was found dead last Saturday at HMP Wakefield, nicknamed “Monster Mansion”, after suffering fatal knife wounds in an inmate assault. Two prisoners, Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, have since been charged with his murder. Watkins’ death has reignited painful memories for his former bandmates, who disbanded Lostprophets in 2013. Co-founder Lee Gaze reflected on the devastation within the group following the revelations: “How could you know? Who would disclose such a thing to five people, who between them have eight children?” For those once captivated by Watkins’ music, his final letters serve as a haunting reminder of how deeply his manipulation ran — even from behind bars.