Ian Watkins’ former Lostprophets bandmates say they have ‘no interest’ in ever speaking to him again
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, which speaks to Watkins’ ex-girlfriend and former bandmates, the band’s ex-guitarist Mike Lewis says he has no desire to contact the band’s frontman, who was jailed for 29 years last December for serious child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby. “I’ve thought about it long and hard and, no, I have no interest in ever speaking to him again,” said Lewis. “I feel incredibly bad for his mother and his whole family and the stigma they have to endure now because of what he’s done and what his actions have done to hurt so many people. But I have no interest in questioning him about it. Never.” Lewis later tweeted to say this will be the only interview he gives regarding Watkins. “First, last and only interview I’ll do on the subject,” he wrote.
Lee Gaze of the band was also interviewed for the piece, stating that he too does not wish to speak with Watkins. “I don’t think I’d get the answers I wanted,” he said. Watkins’ former girlfriend Karen Ruttner discusses Watkins’ drug addiction in the article, recalling when she saw him in April 2012, the same month the attempted rape of a baby at the K West Hotel in London had taken place. “That month was probably the worst I ever saw him. He was disgusting, so messed up. He was starting to have issues with his teeth falling out and rotting.”
Earlier this month an inquiry was launched into whether the celebrity status of Watkins delayed him being brought to justice. The BBC reports that gross misconduct notices have been served on seven police officers from three different forces as part of an investigation into how allegations made against Watkins were dealt with by police. Three officers from South Yorkshire Police; two from Bedfordshire Police and two from South Wales Police are all under investigation.
“We are continuing to gather and analyse information in all three investigations in order to establish what steps were taken by police in response to the allegations made against Ian Watkins, whether he could have been brought to justice sooner and whether his celebrity status had any impact on those investigations,” Independent Police Complaints Commission commissioner Jan Williams said.
The inquiry will look at how South Yorkshire Police handled three reports made to the force between March and May 2012, which contained allegations against Watkins with potential evidence. It will also scrutinise how Bedfordshire Police dealt with information from a member of the public who reported an allegation of child abuse against Watkins in October 2012.
Source: NME
