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.
Mr Laycock’s statement, read to jurors by prosecutor Chris Rose, said: ‘(Gedel) didn’t want to move wings. He had mentioned a number of times that if he was moved he would do something.
‘Often this is the kind of threat prisoners make and often they do nothing to carry it out.
‘I knew Gedel would rather go to segregation than be moved to somewhere he didn’t want to be.’
Mr Laycock said he rushed to B wing on the day of Watkins’ death after hearing a ‘code red’ called, and saw Gedel being escorted by officers.
‘I noticed Gedel was looking somewhat smug, and seemed to have a smirk on his face,’ his statement read.
Another prison officer from A wing, Justin Barrett, said he saw Gedel being restrained after the ‘code red’.
He said: ‘I wasn’t shocked to see it was him. He had not been happy about the move from A to B wing.
‘I heard him say he would do something to get moved to segregation.’
Jurors also heard statements from several officers who searched Gedel when he was moved to his cell after the incident.
Patrick Wilson, who was part of the jail’s dedicated search team (DST), said Gedel was laughing as he entered the cell, and responded ‘I used my hands,’ when asked where the weapon was.
Mr Wilson said: ‘He kept laughing, saying things like: ‘You guys are DST, this should be the highlight of the day’.’
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.
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
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 due to his crimes’ notoriety and because other prisoners believed he had access to money.
The day before Watkins was killed, he had received two threatening notes – one of which demanded £500 and warned if there was a failure 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.
