This is the moment the inmate accused of murdering paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins sneered: ‘Have a good night’s sleep, Watkins, lad.’
Rico Gedel, 25, was recorded on a prison officer’s body camera making the remark after the depraved singer was killed in a brutal 20-second knife attack.
The footage was shown to jurors at Leeds Crown Court where Gedel and another serving prisoner deny murdering Watkins, 48, at maximum-security HMP Wakefield last October.
The disgraced frontman – serving a 35-year sentence for a string of horrific child sex offences – was discovered with three slash wounds to his face and neck, with one fatally slicing through his jugular vein.
Various pieces of footage were played to jurors from inside the prison capturing the moments after Watkins was attacked on the morning of October 11, shortly after officers began unlocking doors on B Wing.
Gedel, who was in the cell next door to Watkins, allegedly murdered him before passing on the makeshift weapon to his ‘look-out’ accomplice and co-accused Samuel Dodsworth, 44.
Footage shown to jurors included the moments after the 9.19am attack in which Gedel was accosted by prison officers and taken to be locked in his cell.
As he passed Watkins’ cell, where he was receiving emergency treatment, Gedel could be heard saying: ‘Have a good sleep, Watkins, lad.’
Footage has revealed the moment the inmate accused of murdering paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins is said to have sneered: ‘Have a good night’s sleep, Watkins, lad’
Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins was murdered in jail where he was serving 29 years for child sex offences
Rico Gedel, 25, was recorded on a prison officer’s body camera after the depraved singer Watkins was killed in a brutal 20-second knife attack, a court has heard
The jury was told he later made a string of comments while being monitored in his cell.
One prison officer said Gedel told him: ‘If he dies then I’ve made my time in jail worth it.’
Prison officer Adam Laycock, who had helped move Gedel to B Wing the day before Watkins was killed, described him as appearing ‘smug’ after the attack.
In a statement read to court, Mr Laycock said: ‘I noticed Gedel was looking somewhat smug and seemed to have a smirk on his face.’
Another officer, Anthony Whiteside, told jurors he entered Gedel’s cell to ask him where the weapon was.
He said Gedel replied with words to the effect of: ‘You’ll never find it.’
Mr Whiteside added that Gedel also said phrases including ‘I hope he sleeps’ and ‘I hope he goes to sleep’.
‘I knew what he meant by saying it and that he was referring to Ian,’ the officer said.
Gedel’s co-accused Samuel Dodsworth, 43, pleaded not guilty to Watkins’ murder in November
Mr Whiteside added: ‘Throughout the time in the cell I would describe Gedel as calm and cold. Gedel did not seem bothered about what had occurred.’
In further bodycam footage, Gedel was asked by an officer: ‘Why him?’
Laughing, he replied: ‘I don’t know. Life is life. Some people live, some people die.’
Officer Andrew Chaplin, who monitored Gedel in his cell after the attack, said the prisoner appeared ‘really perky’ and spoke casually about football and rugby.
He said: ‘It was like he didn’t care what he had just done.
‘He was even commenting on my smile, saying it was lovely, which I thought was odd.’
Mr Chaplin continued in his statement: ‘[Gedel] spoke about his original crime that he was in HMP Wakefield for.
‘He stated that he hadn’t committed the murder, that there was three of them, but he hadn’t had the knife.
‘Going on to say, words to the effect of, “If I’m going to do life for murder, I’m going to make sure it’s worth it”.
‘I asked him if he hand-picked Watkins, and that I wasn’t police, so he could tell me.
‘Gedel nodded towards my camera to sort of indicate that he knew it was all being recorded, so he wouldn’t talk fully.
‘He went on to say words to the effect of ‘if I’ve killed him, you could be talking to someone famous’.
Leeds Crown Court heard Watkins had long been considered vulnerable behind bars because of the notoriety of his crimes and because other prisoners believed he had access to money.
The day before he was killed he had received two threatening notes, one of which demanded £500 and warned that if Watkins failed to pay: ‘I promise you I will get your head cracked open, you snitch.’
‘If it’s not done by Saturday, you will see what will happen to you. Don’t f*** about now, this is your last chance now.’
Jurors were told Gedel is expected to admit killing Watkins but will claim he lost his self-control.
Dodsworth denies knowing about the attack in advance and denies helping to plan or carry it out.
Watkins, from Pontypridd in South Wales, was jailed in 2013 after admitting a catalogue of child sex offences, including engaging in sexual activity with a child and the attempted rape of an 11-month-old baby.
He was handed consecutive 14-year and 15-year jail terms, with further sentences for 11 other offences to run alongside the 29-year minimum term.
The trial continues.
