The heir to an Alabama coal dynasty viciously strangled his wife just days after he was sprung from a Monaco jail for allegedly ripping her necklace off at a posh hotel, court documents revealed.
Christopher Lee Drummond — whose wealthy “coal king” father owns the prominent Drummond Company — was charged Monday with choking his wife Alexis, 37, at their $4 million Birmingham mansion, court records show.
His stunning arrest came shortly after he was released from a 45-day prison stint in Monaco, where he was convicted of roughing up his wife at the iconic Hotel de Paris, court papers said, according to AL.com
The 40-year-old Drummond was found guilty of intentional violence against a spouse in Monaco in June, according to a civil suit filed by his wife.
Alexis, who is in the midst of divorcing Drummond, has alleged in a new lawsuit that he broke her cell phone and sprained her wrist along with tearing off her necklace during the hotel attack, the outlet reported.
She accuses him of repeatedly assaulting and abusing her — including while she was pregnant — and once holding a gun to her head during their six-year relationship, court papers said, according to ABC3340.
She also claims that he “dognapped” her 4-year-old Maltese puppy, Mila, during their heated divorce proceedings, the lawsuit said.
Drummond was hit with felony domestic violence strangulation and suffocation charges for the attack at their home back on Feb. 25, court records show.
He is also facing felony domestic violence strangulation charges for an alleged assault on Sept. 1, and for misdemeanor domestic violence charges from an incident nine days later.
Details of those alleged attacks weren’t immediately clear Friday.
Drummond’s tycoon father, Gary Drummond, was named Alabama’s richest man by Forbes in 2015, and has been described by media as a “coal king” with major influence in the south.
The younger Drummond was booked into Jefferson County Jail at around 11:35 a.m. Monday and was released around 2:20 p.m. — after posting a $66,000 bond.
Drummond’s criminal attorney, Brett Bloomston, declined comment to AL.com.
