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

David Richards, 42, was sentenced to 27 years behind bars in January after attacking 32-year-old Alex Alam following the breakdown of their relationship.

On Tuesday, a spokesperson for HMP Lowdham Grange, Nottinghamshire, said: “We can confirm that a prisoner died at HMP Lowdham Grange on March 13.

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Chelmsford Crown Court, where David Richards was sentenced (PA)

“The next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with the family. 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 April 3 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.

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 planned the attempted hit in advance, buying boots, gloves and a hatchet and waiting in the shadows to catch Ms Alam alone, having stalked and monitored her home in advance.

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

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

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.