Inmate's Smug Farewell: "Have a Good Night's Sleep, Lad," After Attacking Ian Watkins

THIS is the moment the inmate accused of murdering paedo Lostprophets rocker Ian Watkins sneered: “Have a good night’s sleep, Watkins, lad.”

Rico Gedel, 25, was recorded on a officer’s body camera making the remark after the disgraced singer was killed in a brutal 20-second knife attack.

Disgraced paedo Ian Watkins was stabbed to death in his cell last October Credit: PA Rico Gedel, 25, is accused of Watkins’ murder Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk

The footage was shown to jurors at Crown Court where Gedel and another serving prisoner deny murdering Watkins, 48, at maximum-security HMP Wakefield last October.

The depraved 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 clips 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 the court shows Gedel walking away from Watkins’ cell after he was attacked Credit: PA It also showed Watkins emerging from his cell with blood on his top Credit: PA

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.”

One prison officer said Gedel told him: “If he dies then I’ve made my time in jail worth it.”

He was also allegedly heard laughing before telling the same officer: “When you go home, you can say you’ve spoken to someone famous.”

The heard statements from prison officers who described Gedel as “smug” and “smirking” after the incident.

Adam Laycock, who helped move Gedel to B Wing the day before the fatal attack, said in a statement read to court: “I noticed Gedel was looking somewhat smug, and seemed to have a smirk on his face.”

He added that Gedel was “unhappy about having to move wings the day before the attack and had threatened to “do something to get moved to segregation”.

Another officer, Anthony Whiteside, told jurors he entered Gedel’s cell to ask him where the weapon was and said he 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.

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’.”

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’.”

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.