Who’s David DePape? Ex-US speaker Nancy Pelosi husband’s attacker jailed for 30 years | World News
The person convicted of trying to kidnap then-Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in jail.
Choose Jacqueline Scott Corley handed down the sentence for David DePape, 44, whom jurors discovered responsible final November of tried kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the instant member of the family of a federal official. Prosecutors had requested for a 40-year jail time period.
DePape was given 20 years for one depend and 30 years for one more depend. The sentences will run concurrently. He was additionally given credit score for the 18 months that he is been in custody.
Corley stated she took into consideration when giving DePape’s sentence the truth that he broke into the house of public official, an unprecedented act within the historical past of the nation.
“He really went to the house, that’s fully, fully unprecedented,” she stated.
Earlier than sentencing, Christine Pelosis learn sufferer statements on behalf of her father and mom, explaining how the violent assault modified their lives.
DePape admitted throughout trial testimony that he broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco dwelling Oct. 28, 2022, intending to carry the speaker hostage and “break her kneecaps” if she lied to him. He additionally admitted to bludgeoning Paul Pelosi with a hammer after police confirmed up, saying his plan to finish what he considered as authorities corruption was unraveling.
The assault on Paul Pelosi, who was 82 on the time, was captured on police physique digital camera video simply days earlier than the midterm elections and despatched shockwaves via the political world.
Protection attorneys argued DePape was motivated by his political views, not as a result of he needed to intervene with Nancy Pelosi’s official duties as a member of Congress, making the costs in opposition to him invalid.
Considered one of his attorneys, Angela Chuang, stated throughout closing arguments that DePape was caught up in conspiracy theories.
DePape additionally informed jurors he had deliberate to put on an inflatable unicorn costume and file his interrogation of the Democratic speaker, who was not on the dwelling on the time of the assault, to add it on-line.
Prosecutors stated he had rope and zip ties with him, and detectives discovered physique cameras, a pc and a pill.
Paul Pelosi additionally testified on the trial, recalling how he was woke up by a big man bursting into the bed room and asking, “The place’s Nancy?” He stated that when he responded that his spouse was in Washington, DePape stated he would tie him up whereas they waited for her.
“It was an incredible sense of shock to acknowledge that someone had damaged into the home, and him and looking out on the hammer and the ties, I acknowledged that I used to be in critical hazard, so I attempted to remain as calm as potential,” Pelosi informed jurors.
DePape can be charged in state court docket with assault with a lethal weapon, elder abuse, residential housebreaking and different felonies. Jury choice in that trial is predicted to start out Wednesday.
Paul Pelosi suffered two head wounds within the assault, together with a cranium fracture that was mended with plates and screws he can have for the remainder of his life. His proper arm and hand had been additionally injured.
