A former boss of the Dreamboys stripper group who tried to murder his wife with an axe has died in prison.

David Richards was handed a 27-year sentence in January after fracturing Alex Alam’s skull in a carefully planned attack following the breakdown of their relationship.

A spokesperson from HMP Lowdham Grange, in Nottinghamshire, confirmed on Tuesday that Richards had died.

A cause of death for the 42-year-old has not been given.

“The next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with the family,” the spokesperson said.

“As with all deaths in custody, there will be an investigation by the independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and therefore we are unable to comment further at this stage.”

Richards lay in wait for hours with an axe, dry suit and cable ties to ambush Ms Alam when she stepped outside her home in Stock, Essex, with her dogs on 3 April 2022.

She suffered a fractured skull and cuts to her face and scalp in the “bloodbath” that ensued, Judge David Turner KC told Chelmsford Crown Court.

The attack happened after Richards had seen Ms Alam with reality TV star Kirk Norcross, the jury heard.

Richards had planned the attempted hit in advance and bought boots, gloves and a hatchet for the attack. He also stalked Ms Alam and monitored her home in advance.

He attacked her in darkness while children were inside the house, tying her up and dragging her by her hair.

Essex Police said that when Richards stepped out to try to find Ms Alam’s phone, she was able to free herself, lock her doors and call for help.

Richards, who was found guilty of attempted murder, sobbed at the sentencing hearing as the judge told him the attack was “the hideous culmination of the breakdown some 18 months earlier of your family relationships”.

He was described in court as being “obsessive” and having a “jealous mindset”.

The judge added: “Your dream home, family and lifestyle to which you had aspired had very sadly unravelled and left you depressed, isolated and angry.”

In her victim impact statement read to the court, Ms Alam said: “I’ve been utterly betrayed beyond belief by the person I chose to have children with, turning my life upside down.

“The scars are a constant reminder of what he did to me.”

Richards had a “successful” business with a “not insignificant family home and a not insignificant lifestyle”, the court had been told.

He became a director of the male striptease group Dreamboys in 2014, according to Companies House.

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