The man who attacked former U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi‘s husband in 2022 was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Friday.
David DePape broke into Pelosi’s San Francisco home on October 28, 2022, a week before congressional elections. At the time, Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives, was in Washington.
DePape acknowledged in trial testimony that his intention was to take Pelosi hostage. Prosecutors said he was driven by the far-right conspiracy theories known as QAnon.
DePape, 44, clubbed Pelosi’s husband Paul with a hammer before police called to the scene subdued him. In November, a jury found DePape guilty of trying to kidnap a federal officer and assaulting an immediate family member.
Paul Pelosi, 82, suffered skull fractures and other injuries that have continued to affect him. In a letter to the judge ahead of Friday’s sentencing, he said he had a metal plate in his head. Apart from dizziness, he struggles with balance and has permanent nerve damage in his left hand, he said.
In a separate letter, Nancy Pelosi, the first woman House speaker, urged the judge to impose a “very long” punishment.
She noted that DePape reportedly shouted “Where’s Nancy?” after breaking into her home.
Prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco federal court to sentence DePape to 40 years in prison.
Citing an abusive relationship, DePape’s court-appointed defence lawyer had asked for a sentence of 14 years.
DePape still faces state charges over the break-in and attack, including attempted murder. These carry a potential sentence of 13 years to life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty.
(REUTERS)
