A former manager of the Dreamboys stripper group has been jailed for 27 years for attempted murder after attacking his wife with an axe. David Richards, 42, attacked Alex Alam, 32, outside her home after their relationship broke down, fracturing her skull and cutting her face and scalp. He lay in wait for Alam on 3 April last year and attacked her in the dark when she stepped outside her house in Stock, Essex, with her dogs. In a victim impact statement read by William Carter, prosecuting, 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.” Carter told Chelmsford crown court that Richards, of no fixed address, had taken an axe, waterproof clothing and cable ties to the address. “The weapon was taken to the scene and used,” he said. “Plainly, there was planning – the buying of the axe, the dry suit, the cable ties.” He said it was only the fact that Alam “kept on thinking” that saved her life. Richards pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder charge but was found guilty by a jury after a trial. He was also convicted of breaching a non-molestation order. The judge, David Turner KC, said the attack was a “bloodbath” and praised Alam for “courageously” attending the hearing. She wept and was consoled by people who attended court with her as details were read out. Turner said Richards had stalked and monitored Alam and the home before the incident. He said he was “obsessive” and had a “jealous mindset”. He struck after a friend of Alam’s had left the house. The judge said: “You waited for hours on the night itself until she was alone and her friend had left. “You knew perfectly well she would come to the yard in darkness to house the dogs. You waited in the shadows, then confronted her.” Richards dragged Alam into the house and tied her up briefly, but she freed herself when Richards went outside to try to find her phone. Despite her injuries, she was able to lock the doors and call for help. After failing to break into the house with the axe, Richards tried to flee, leading to a police chase. Richards attended the hearing by video link from HMP Chelmsford. He was also made subject to a restraining order.