Man who attacked MP Maryam Khan sentenced to prison – AsAmNews

A Connecticut man who pleaded guilty to assaulting Congresswoman Maryam Khan last June has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Andrew Desmond appeared in Hartford Superior Court on Tuesday and also received 15 years of special probation and a protective order for the June 2023 attack on Khan outside an Eid al-Adha service. Desmond must also register as a sex offender and undergo mental health treatment. He pleaded guilty to charges of attempted third-degree sexual assault, attempted first-degree strangulation and endangering a minor.

According to Khan, she and her family were taking photos after attending an Eid al-Adha service at the XL Center Arena in Hartford, Connecticut, when Desmond made sexual advances toward her and her daughters before slapping Khan, putting her in a chokehold and throwing her to the ground. As a result, Khan suffered a concussion and injuries to her right arm and shoulder. Desmond was chased by two bystanders who detained him until police arrived and arrested him.

After the hearing, Khan said in an interview with NBC Connecticut, “I’m glad this is over. I’m looking forward to putting this behind me and moving forward.”

“What happened to me just over a year ago was tragic and will shape my life and the lives of everyone involved,” Khan said in an interview with NBC News. “But I am proud to see some semblance of justice served today. It is important to note that what happened that day is much more common than we would like to admit.”

Khan had called for a hate crimes investigation shortly after the attack and accused police of downplaying the violence in their police report. Ultimately, no hate crime charges were filed, despite calls from Khan’s supporters and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

After the hearing, Khan said the case as a whole shows the flaws in the mental health system. She told NBC Connecticut, “Unfortunately, this is the result of some of those flaws, so I’m glad to be in a position to do something about it.”

Court records show Desmond had a history of mental illness and had been on medication and other mental health issues since pleading guilty, his attorney said in court. Desmond’s defense attorney also said, “He deeply regrets what happened. He deeply regrets it. He is so sorry for causing pain to someone who was completely decompensated and overcome by schizophrenia.”

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