The courtroom is packed at Cardiff Crown Court awaiting the sentencing of former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins, whom is due to be sentenced for a string of child sex offences – including the attempted rape of a baby.
HOW UK CROWN COURTS DETERMINE & APPLY APPROPRIATE SENTENCE
The former Lostprophets frontman was described by a prosecutor as a “determined and committed paedophile” when he pleaded guilty to a series of charges last month.
As is protocol before sentencing, Prosecutor Christopher Clee QC presented the facts of the case to Court this morning. He relayed to the Judge the severity of images found on Watkins’ hard drive, which included sexual images of children aged between two and 14.
Clee also informed the Court about two recorded phone calls Watkins made to a female friend from Bridgend’s Parc Prison in the days after pleading guilty in which Watkins said:
“It was like either me go up there and say ‘Come on, it wasn’t that bad, nobody got hurt’. I do my charm or do I end up making things worse for myself or do I just say I was off my head and can’t remember?”
“It’s so hard. There’s a lot of fucking meaningless bullshit like chat that I did to show off when I was fucking off my head…There was no medical evidence, nobody was harmed at all.”
He went on to say: “I’m not a paedophile, I’m not. You know I plead (sic) guilty just to avoid a trial, not realising ‘Hang on, that makes me look a bit guilty’ but I would never harm anybody.”
When asked if he would still issue a statement saying his conduct was “mega lolzs” he replied: “No, it’s just lols now.”
Ian Watkins’ Defense Counsel, QC Sally O’Neill gave the following reasons and explanations as defense:
- the singer was “bombarded” with sexual messages from fans “24 hours a day, seven days a week”, some of which she described as “extreme depravity”.
- “I don’t for one moment pretend that Ian Watkins didn’t fully take part and reciprocate in these fantasies but it is marked that often the initiator was the fan, whether it is one of the co-defendants or not”.
- that drugs obviously have played a considerable part“ in Watkins’ offending
- he became “quite addicted to a variety of drugs” in 2009. “That’s what resulted in him having no memory of large parts of when he was on tour with the group
- He does wish, for what it’s worth, to say he is very, very sorry for what’s happened and still finds it hard to accept but realises the reality of what has happened.
- He has belatedly realised the gravity of what has happened” and “He has certainly expressed a wish to resolve the problems he has had as card as drink and drugs are concerned but also he has acknowledged that he has got himself into this current situation and he is ashamed and appalled by what has happened.”
- Concluding: “He is deeply ashamed and sorry for what he has put others through, including his family and those who know him and still support him.”
* Watkins has been on 15-minute suicide watch since he has been in jail.
As well as sexually touching an 11-month-old baby alongside the child’s mother, he encouraged another woman to abuse her own child during a webcam chat. Police also found that Watkins secretly stashed child porn on computer hard drives and made his own videos.
Watkins previously insisted he was innocent and would fight until his last breath to clear his name. But he pleaded guilty to 13 offences on the day the jury was due to be sworn in at Cardiff Crown Court, where he appeared for sentencing today.
The guilty pleas spared a jury the need to sit through a harrowing 17-minute video of Watkins abusing a baby.
The abuse is thought to be so widespread that investigating officers have since launched a nationwide appeal for other potential victims to come forward – and are pursuing new leads after receiving a flurry of calls.
