A hulking Florida high school student who viciously punched a teacher’s assistant over a Nintendo Switch has written a letter of apology to the victim that was never read in court, in which he claims he made a “mistake that will never be made again.”
Brendan Depa, 18, was sentenced to five years in prison for felony aggravated assault (bodily injury) for attacking Joan Neidich, a paraprofessional, in a hallway at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast in February 2023.
“Following the incident last year, many have alleged that I have shown no remorse or taken responsibility for my actions,” Depa wrote in the letter, titled “An apology.” Obtained by NewsNation.
“This is not true. I am truly sorry for the terrible injuries I caused Joan and am pleased that the injuries I inflicted did not leave permanent scars or bruises,” he wrote in a handwritten note expressing his regret.
Depa’s tutor, Jean Lopez, encouraged Depa to be remorseful and recognize the impact of his actions, which led to the letter of apology.
“He wrote this himself,” Lopez told the outlet. “Brendan is a talented writer, and you can see that in this, so this is all his work.”
The tutor claims that Depa did not edit or change any words in her writing and that there were factual errors about Neidich’s injuries, as she had not yet seen the video of the attack and did not know the extent of the injuries she inflicted.
Security cameras in the hallway captured Depa, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 270 pounds, sprinting toward the teacher, who turned around, saw the attacker and threw Depa to the floor.
Depa, who was 17 at the time, repeatedly stomped on the paraprofessional while he was unconscious, then punched him 15 times.
It took several officers to pull Depa off Neidich and pin him to the floor.
“I know what I did was wrong and I take responsibility for my actions. I was overcome by my emotions and I deeply regret that it ended up like this,” the teenager added.
During the sentencing, Judge Terrence Perkins of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Florida argued that Depa showed no remorse for the attack, said the boy had been charged with numerous previous assaults and that this was not an isolated attack.
Depa maintained that the February 2023 attack and subsequent conviction do not define him.
“I had the choice to let this incident destroy me, define me or make me stronger, and I chose to be stronger,” he said. “During my incarceration, I learned ways to cope so that this will never happen again.”
“I’ve grown and matured in ways that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. Although I’m not happy being in prison, I’m still grateful. It’s opened my eyes to skills and strategies that I would never have been aware of if I hadn’t been in prison,” Depa added.
“I made a mistake and I will not let this happen again. I am sorry.”
Depa’s adoptive mother, Lianne, opposed the five-year sentence, saying her son was being “punished because he is black, because he is large and because he has a disability”.
“I think he needs help, I think he needs treatment, but I don’t think he should be in prison where he’ll be taken advantage of and harmed,” she added after the verdict. Daytona Beach News Journal.
Depa, who turns 19 on August 22, has been diagnosed with autism, ADHD and mood disorders but his tutor says he has made progress since the terrifying incident last year.
“I would love to have Brendan at home with me right away,” Lopez told NewsNation.Banfield“Everything I did was fine… he accepted it. He’s been a blessing to me.”
Leanne Depa said she received multiple offers from hospitals and group homes to take her son instead of prison.
“I don’t think he understands what he’s going through,” Leanne Depa told NewsNation’s “Banfield.” Her mother previously called the case a “death sentence.”
“He’s scared,” Leanne Depa said, according to the outlet. “It’s horrible when your child calls you crying and says, ‘I don’t want to die.'”
