Defendants’ names in Watkins abuse case on court site

The names of the defendants in the case of disgraced rock star Ian Watkins were mistakenly included on the court service’s listing site, it confirmed yesterday.

The development came as Peaches Geldof continued to be at the centre of a row for tweeting the names of the two mothers whose babies were involved in abuse by the singer.

The daughter of Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof posted a series of tweets explaining that she had assumed the names were already “public knowledge”.

An HM Courts & Tribunals Service spokesman said: “We apologise that the names of the defendants in this case were mistakenly included on our court listing site. The names were quickly removed from the site, and action has been taken to ensure this does not happen again.”

Detectives said on Thursday night that they were investigating reports of what Peaches Geldof had done and were in talks with prosecutors.

She explained that she had deleted her tweets “and apologise for any offence caused as at the time of tweeting had only seen everyone tweeting the names at me so had assumed as they were also up on news websites and the crown courts public file that they had been released for public knowledge”.

She added: “Will check my facts before tweeting next time. Apologies and lesson learned.”

Lostprophets singer Watkins was branded a “determined and committed paedophile” after he pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a string of sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby. The 36-year-old, from Pontypridd, South Wales, plotted the abuse with the two mothers in a series of text and internet messages.

Geldof yesterday tweeted: “The babies will most probably be given new identities to protect them from future abuse from other paedos who know who they are/their names from the videos Watkins uploaded to paedo websites.

“The question of whether or not to give anonymity to criminals in cases like this will go on forever. However, these women and Watkins will be getting three meals a day, a double bed, cable TV etc all funded by the taxpayer alongside not being named apparently. It makes me sad.”