Brendan Depa, 18, was sentenced to 5 years in state jail on Tuesday for “brutally” beating a highschool instructing assistant over a Nintendo Switch. The incident, which occurred on February 21, 2023, at Matanzas Excessive College in Palm Coast, Florida, was captured on video and extensively reported. Depa can even serve 15 years of probation following his launch, as reported by Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Depa, then 17, attacked Joan Naydich after an altercation involving the gaming console. The video reveals Depa assaulting Naydich in a college hallway, pushing her to the bottom, and repeatedly kicking and punching her.
“Compounding the mindless bodily violence was the screaming of obscenities, spitting on Ms. Naydich each earlier than and through the incident,” Circuit Choose Terence Perkins mentioned, additionally highlighting Depa’s lack of regret. “He pursued her down the hallway, pushed her so violently from behind that she flew by way of the air and was knocked unconscious when she landed on the hallway ground. He then proceeded to kick her, then bounce on prime of her, hanging her within the head and physique greater than 15 instances.”
Depa’s protection argued that his autism spectrum dysfunction and his mom’s criticisms of the sentence needs to be thought-about. Leanne Depa claimed that the sentence was influenced by racial and incapacity biases and criticized the college for not managing her son’s disabilities correctly.
Assistant State Legal professional Melissa Clark argued for a considerable punishment, stating, “He nearly killed a lady. He needs to be punished for that.” Naydich, who suffers from PTSD and different long-term impacts, famous the numerous private {and professional} penalties of the assault.
Depa has the best to enchantment the sentence however is ordered to haven’t any contact with Naydich and to stay 500 toes away from her residence and office.