A Florida teenager who made national headlines in 2023 for brutally beating a teacher’s assistant has been sentenced to five years in state prison.
Brendan Depa was arrested Surveillance Video On February 21, he punched the 57-year-old victim, knocking him to the floor as passersby looked on at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast. He was 17 at the time.
“Please, let him come home with me.”
Department stores Sentenced On Tuesday, Depa was sent to prison despite pleas from her adoptive mother. Her victim, Joan Neidich, testified in support of Depa, who faces a heavy prison term.
“Because of Brendan Depa’s actions that day, I lost my job of nearly 19 years, my financial stability and my health insurance,” Neidich said.
According to an arrest report, the 270-pound, 6-foot-6-inch student punched Neidich 15 times. She suffered five broken ribs, a concussion, vision and hearing loss and was diagnosed with PTSD.
Depa reportedly punched the woman after her Nintendo Switch was taken away, sparking online criticism of the victim and excusing her based on his autism diagnosis. Neidich later said he had never taken away the boy’s video games.
“Hey keyboard warriors, I want to set the record straight. I never took his Nintendo Switch away from him. I have heard and been told by others that this was unfortunately false,” Neidich wrote.
The student’s mother, Lianne Depa, argued in court that the school ignored her warnings about the factors that triggered her son’s behaviour, including noise, being told no and being scolded in front of others.
“I knew Brendan, I knew the events he caused, I knew his needs and his strengths, so please bring him home with me,” his mother said.
After serving his sentence, Depa will be on probation for 15 years. He could have faced up to 30 years in prison for the crime.
GoFundMe motion They raised more than $140,000 for Neidich.
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