British man killed in Prague in ‘blind attack’ with a vodka bottle

Man arrested for attack on father-of-three David Richards who was in Czech Republic on a stag do

A British father has died in Prague after he was hit in the head in a “blind attack”.
David Richards, 31, was reportedly hit with a vodka bottle in the back of the head while on a stag do in the capital city of the Czech Republic.
He was attacked hours after arriving in the city following a holiday with his partner, Jola Simms, and their three children.
Mr Richards’ family said the father, from Mountain Ash, in South Wales, left the house at 5am on Friday to travel to Prague for the stag do of a close friend and by 10pm they had been informed that he had been involved in an incident and was in a critical condition.
The family said a French passer-by gave first aid at the scene. Mr Richards was put on a life support machine but died in hospital.
Local media reported a 26-year-old man was arrested and charged with grievous bodily harm.
Jan Daněk, a police spokesman, told Prague Morning, an English-language media outlet in the Czech Republic, that the two men were part of separate groups who had been talking before an argument broke out.
“One individual struck another in the head with a vodka bottle. The impact was so severe that the victim collapsed immediately and tragically died in the hospital,” Mr Daněk said.
Mr Daněk added: “The 26-year-old man is now facing charges of grievous bodily harm and disorderly conduct. If convicted he could be sentenced to up to 16 years in prison.
Mr Richards’ family have disputed the suggestion he was involved in a fight and said it was instead a “blind attack”.
“From the attack he actually passed away from blunt force trauma. David was talking to locals in the street when he took a blow to the back of the head,” the family said in a statement.
Mr Richards’ partner said the family’s world has “been crushed” since the devastating loss of her “soul mate”.
In a Facebook post, she said: “No amount of time behind bars will ever be enough for him, taking away my soul mate and our precious babies’ daddy. Our world has been crushed.”
The couple have three children: Aurora, four, Bear, aged two, and one-year-old Vienna.
A Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in the Czech Republic.”