The trial of two men accused of murdering former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins has been halted after the jury was discharged at Leeds Crown Court, with a retrial now scheduled.

Mr Justice Hilliard informed the court that the jury could not continue, stating that the decision had been made reluctantly and that the case would need to be heard again.A provisional retrial date has been set for 8 February next year.

Watkins, who was serving a 29-year sentence for a series of serious sexual offences involving children, died at HMP Wakefield in October last year at the age of 48.He had been imprisoned for 12 years at the time of his death, with an additional six years on licence following his release.

His offences, which included attempted rape of a baby and conspiracy to rape a child, had already made him one of the most notorious figures in UK criminal history.Inmates Rico Gedel, aged 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, aged 44, are both charged with murder and possession of a weapon in prison.Both defendants deny the allegations.

Prosecutors claim that Gedel entered Watkins’ cell and stabbed him in the head and neck using a makeshift weapon, before handing it to Dodsworth, who allegedly wrapped it in tissue and disposed of it in a bin.

It is further alleged that Dodsworth was aware an attack was planned and assisted in its aftermath, while he maintains he panicked and was not involved.

The court also heard claims that Gedel had expressed hostility towards sex offenders and had previously made remarks suggesting he would gain notoriety from Watkins’ death.

The case has also been set against a backdrop of earlier violence against Watkins, who had been attacked in prison in 2023 and required hospital treatment.The retrial will revisit the evidence and allegations in full.