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Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in Prison Murder Case

11/12/2025

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Story summary
  • Samuel Dodsworth, 43, pleaded not guilty to murdering Ian Watkins, 48, at HMP Wakefield.
  • Watkins was killed on October 11, 2023, while serving a 29-year sentence for child sex offences.
  • Co-defendant Rashid Gedel, 25, did not enter a plea, refusing to leave his cell for court.
  • Both men remain in custody, with a trial scheduled for May 5, 2026, and a case management hearing on February 2, 2024.
  • Emergency services pronounced Watkins dead at the scene following the attack.