David DePaap, who was convicted of a brutal hammer attack on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi in their California home, was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
DePape was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison on one charge and 20 years on the second charge, with the sentences to be served concurrently. Depape showed no reaction as the judge read his sentence. The couple’s daughter Christine Pelosi read a victim impact statement in court.
Congresswoman Pelosi was in Washington, D.C., and did not attend the sentencing. The Pelosi family released a short statement after the sentencing.
“The Pelosi family could not be more proud of Pops and his tremendous courage in saving his own life on the night of the attack and testifying in this case. Speaker Pelosi and her family send their love and prayers. “We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has helped us through the past 18 months as Ms. Pelosi continues to recover,” the statement read.
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(Left) Paul Pelosi and Nancy Pelosi at the Pre-Grammy Gala. (Right) David DePape. (Michael Short/San Francisco Chronicle)
DePape was convicted last year of attempted kidnapping of a federal employee and assault of a federal employee’s next of kin. Prosecutors had asked Judge Jacqueline Scott Coley to sentence him to 40 years in prison.
Paul Pelosi said in a written victim impact statement that her life has been “irrevocably changed” since the attack.
“The head injury continues to impact my life. My hair has grown back, but I have a bump on my head from being hit with a hammer and a metal plate from skull surgery,” Pelosi said. I wrote. “The dizziness won’t go away.”
He revealed that in November 2023, 13 months after the assault, “I felt dizzy at home and fell twice, and underwent extensive medical tests, including an MRI scan and a nerve block injection in my neck.” .
Pelosi said she still suffers from daily headaches, which can develop into migraines if left unaddressed, and cannot tolerate bright lights or loud noises for long periods of time. In addition, the nerves in his left hand were also “severely damaged.”
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Screen capture of body camera video after David de Pape’s alleged assault on Paul Pelosi in San Francisco on October 28, 2022. (San Francisco Police Department)
“The glove on my front hand had been removed, exposing raw nerves and blood vessels. After surgery and treatment, the skin has mostly healed, but I can still feel a pinched nerve in my left hand underneath. “This makes basic tasks such as using buttons, cutlery, and simple utensils more difficult,” he said.
In a victim impact statement, Nancy Pelosi said the attack had devastated three generations of her family and “screamed, ‘Where is Nancy?'” — Reflecting the threat of January 6th — filled me with great fear and deep pain. ”
“Therefore, as punishment for the assault and injury Paul continues to suffer, and as a deterrent to others considering violence against public officials, the sentences for the guilty parties need to be very long.” Pelosi wrote.
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David DePape (left) and Paul Pelosi are seen in body camera footage. (San Francisco County Superior Court)
The attack on then-82-year-old Paul Pelosi was captured on police body camera footage days before the 2022 midterm elections.
DePape admitted in trial testimony that he broke into Pelosi’s home on October 28, 2022, with the intention of taking the then-speaker hostage. “Break her kneecap.” If she lied to him. He also admitted to beating Paul Pelosi with a hammer after police showed up at his San Francisco home and said plans to end what he viewed as corrupt government policies were falling apart.
Defense attorneys said Depape was motivated by political beliefs and obsessed with conspiracy theories.
Nancy Pelosi was not at home at the time of the October 2022 incident.
A courtroom sketch depicts the trial of David DePaap on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, in federal court in San Francisco, California. (Vicky Bellinger)
Depaupe in custody I called the KTVU newsroom.. “I have an important message for the American people: You’re welcome,” he said in a phone call also made during the trial.
Prosecutors said a medical examination at the hospital showed that Paul Pelosi “suffered two skull fractures that had to be repaired by emergency surgery, as well as injuries to her arm and hand that were treated surgically by a professional surgeon.” He said it was found that.
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At trial, “the neurosurgeon who performed the surgery testified that one of the skull fractures barely missed a vein and that a laceration could have caused life-threatening blood loss,” the motion said.
Paul Pelosi also testified at the trial, telling how she was woken up in the middle of the night by a large man who barged into her bedroom and demanded, “Where’s Nancy?” Pelosi said he told the man that his wife was in Washington, and DePape told him he would tie her up while he waited for her.
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“It was a huge shock when I realized that someone had broken into my house. And I looked at him, I saw the hammer and the tie, and I realized I was in grave danger. “So I tried to remain as calm as possible,” Pelosi told jurors.
DePape also faces state charges of assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, burglary and other felonies. Jury selection for the trial is scheduled to begin May 22.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
