THE notorious prison where paedo rocker Ian Watkins was stabbed to death is known as one of the most dangerous in Britain.
HMP Wakefield in Yorkshire was given the nickname the “Monster Mansion” due to the disturbing inmates housed inside including a slew of rapists, 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ers and the most vulnerable prisoners.
Mass murderer Harold Shipman, Britain’s most prolific rapist Reynhard Sinaga and four-time murderer Robert Maudsley, known as the Hannibal the cannibal all spent time in the jail.
One of the other most high-profile fiends inside was former Lostprophets frontman Watkins.
The 48-year-old was ambushed and knifed in the neck by another lag in his cell on Saturday morning.
He was also targeted in the same jail years before his death when he was taken hostage by three other lags, before being “roughed up” and shank.
A source told The Sun: “He was screaming and was obviously terrified and in fear of his life.”
The siege at HMP Wakefield only ended when specially-trained riot officers hurled stun grenades into the cell to free Watkins from his captors.
HMP Wakefield is home to 750 of the nation’s most violent criminals – predominantly 𝓈ℯ𝓍 offenders and serial 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ers.
Vile clientele at the Category A men’s lock-up include the sick Maudsley who was officially classified as Britain’s most dangerous prisoner when he was first jailed.
He has been forced to live out his stretch in solitary confinement and spends 23 hours in his cell away from other inmates due to his dark past.
Maudsley got his sinister nickname amid claims he used a spoon to eat part of the brain of one of his victims.
Lostprophets’ paedo Ian Watkins stabbed to death by prisoner in jail attack
Due to concerns over his manic actions, officers built a one-of-a-kind glass caged cell for the cannibal 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁er in 1983.
The two-cell unit at Wakefield prison bears a chilling resemblance to the one featured in The Silence of the Lambs – and was built seven years before the film was released.
It features bulletproof windows, a cardboard chair and table and a concrete slab for a bed.
Indonesian Reynhard Sinaga, considered to be Britain’s most prolific rapist, is also inside.
He would lure his victims to his flat in Manchester where he sedated and raped them before boasting of his 𝓈ℯ𝓍ual conquests on WhatsApp.
The PhD student was caged in 2020 for a minimum of 30 years for 𝓈ℯ𝓍ually assaulting up to 200 men, this was later raised to 40 year
Jeremy Bamber, who massacred three generations of his family in 1985, is also holed up in West Yorkshire.
Soham murderer Ian Huntley, paedophile ring leader Sidney Cooke and Millie Dowler’s 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁er Levi Bellfield also served time there.
Each wing of the prison can house 160 inmates with cells containing hard iron beds.
The prison is also where mass murderer Harold Shipman spent his final days.
The former GP was sentenced to life in 2000 for 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing 15 patients under his care over three decades through fatal medical doses or prescribing abnormal amounts of drugs.
The monster – who hung himself in 2004 aged 57 – may have 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed as many as 250 people during his 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ing spree.
Inside the crimes of Ian Watkins
Welsh rocker Watkins was jailed after a shocking trial for offences including the attempted rape of a 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦.
Watkins, whose band sold more than 3.5 million albums, filmed himself committing 𝓈ℯ𝓍 acts on a 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 boy the day after Lostprophets final album Weapons was released.
The fiend claimed at Cardiff Crown Court he could not remember the sickening attacks because he was a “heavy user” of crystal meth at the time.
His two co-defendants – fans who were the mothers of victims – were caged for 14 and 17 years each.
I worked in Monster Mansion prison & risked cannibal 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁er’s fury everyday
FORMER senior prison officer Jo Taylor spent five years working with the lags inside HMP Wakefield.
During her stint, she was charged with taking care of infamous criminals like cannibal Robert Maudsley.
Others she met included Soham murderer Ian Huntley, paedophile ring leader Sidney Cooke and Millie Dowler’s 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁er Levi Bellfield.
Jo told The Sun about her time in the jail explaining: “I have always looked behind me since I worked at HMP Wakefield.
“Wherever I go outside I’m constantly looking around and behind me, I never walk with headphones in or my head in a phone.
“I always have to be alert.
“I used to work with dangerous prisoners and so now could be at risk because I may not recognise a former inmate, someone who has been let out.
“They may look like a normal person to me and that’s always terrifying.
“I remember coming onto the wing once and I was whistling.
“The officer quickly told me, ‘You can’t whistle! It upsets Maudsley. His mum used to lock him in a cupboard and whistle so if he hears that, he goes mad’.”
In 2014, he was refused the right to appeal against his 35-year sentence.
Lord Justice Christopher Pitchford said his offences were of “such shocking depravity” that the long sentence was called for.
In 2019, Watkins was convicted of having a banned mobile phone in prison – and had another 10 months added to his sentence.
He used the device to communicate with scores of warped female fans from his cell.
The phone was found concealed on him after an ex-girlfriend tipped off jail bosses.
The rocker’s brutal death was not the first time Watkins was targeted in jail by fellow cons.
A source told The Sun: “He has been attacked a few times inside Wakefield over the last few years, so perhaps this was just a matter of time.
“So that meant he was walking around with a target on his back, and this has happened.”
Watkins was lucky to be alive after he was grabbed by three other lags who attacked him and left him with neck injuries.
