Former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins has been sentenced to an additional 10 months in prison for possessing a mobile phone.
It was revealed earlier this week that Watkins “put mobile phone up his anus to hide it from prison officers”.
Now, the convicted sex offender has been sentenced to a further 10 months in prison. It comes on top of the current 29-year sentence he’s currently serving for a string of child sex offences including the attempted rape of a baby.
Watkins denied the charge, saying that he was forced to hold onto the phone by two inmates, who wanted to use women who were contacting Watkins by mail as a “revenue stream”, Sky News reports.
He then refused when asking to name the men in court, but said they were “murderers and handy”. “You would not want to mess with them,” he added.
The former singer also said that the people he is currently locked up with are “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst”.
He previously pleaded not guilty to possessing a mobile phone in his cell at a hearing in February.
Officials at HMP Wakefield allegedly removed Watkins, from his cell after being given information he was illegally storing a phone back in March of 2018.
Leeds Crown Court heard that nothing was found when Watkins was strip-searched, but it was then revealed that he told a prison officer that he would give up a mobile phone he was in possession of if he would be allowed to see his mother, who was due to visit him in prison that day. He then reached into his underwear and produced a small mobile phone, according to Wales Online.
Prosecutor Stephen Wood told the court: “Between March 4 and March 10, 2018 the defendant was in possession of a mobile phone while inside HMP Wakefield. On March 10 a prison officer at HMP Wakefield went to the defendant’s cell. The intention was to remove the defendant to a sterile cell so he could be searched.”
“The prison had received information the defendant was in possession of a phone. The defendant was searched and nothing was found. During the search the defendant was asked if he had a mobile phone about him and he replied he did not.”
Mr Wood added: “After the search the defendant said his mother was travelling to visit him and he asked if he would still be allowed to see her. When the prison officer went back… he asked if he could still have the visit if he handed over the telephone. The officer asked if he had a phone and he [Watkins] replied that he did. The defendant reached in to his underwear and towards his anus. After about 10 seconds the defendant then produced a small white telephone.”