Child murderer who killed stepdaughter, 2, found dead in same prison as Ian Watkins | UK | News
Three prisoners have been arrested on suspicion of murder after child murderer Kyle Bevan was found dead in his cell at HMP Wakefield. Bevan, 33, was jailed for life for the murder of his partner’s two-year-old daughter Lola James in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, in 2020. Authorities confirmed the 33-year-old was found dead in his cell at 8.25am on Wednesday morning and said three inmates were arrested on suspicion of murder.
The incident comes just weeks after pedophile singer Ian Watkins was fatally stabbed at a West Yorkshire maximum security prison and just weeks after an inspection report found levels of violence at the facility had increased. A sentencing hearing in 2023 was told Bevan killed two-year-old Lola in a “brutal” attack that left her with “catastrophic” brain injuries.
The little child who was left in care on the night of July 16, 2020, suffered 101 injuries.
The judge, Mr Justice Martin Griffiths, said Bevan, of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, launched the attack “as an assertion of superiority over the only person he could feel superior to – a helpless child”.
The 33-year-old was ordered to spend at least 28 years behind bars and Lola’s mother Sinead James was jailed for six years for causing or allowing her daughter’s death in the family home.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police told the BBC that a full investigation was ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding Bevan’s death.
“Three people, all of whom remain in custody, were arrested on suspicion of murder,” they added.
Following a visit in June, inspectors described HMP Wakefield, which houses more than 600 offenders, including those jailed for high-profile and high-risk offences, as “under pressure”.
One report said: “Levels of violence had increased and many prisoners felt unsafe… Many prisoners told us they did not feel safe, particularly older men convicted of sexual offenses who were increasingly sharing the prison with a growing group of younger prisoners.”
A spokesman for the Prison Service said: “The death of HMP Wakefield prisoner Kyle Bevan was confirmed on 5 November. We cannot comment further while police are investigating.”
