Man who attacked Muslim lawmaker in Connecticut sentenced to five years in prison

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A man who attacked a Muslim state lawmaker outside a Connecticut church service was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison for attempted sexual assault and other crimes, a sentence lawmakers had previously said was too lenient.

Andrey Desmond, 31, was convicted in Hartford Superior Court in connection with the June 2023 attack on Rep. Maryam Khan, the first Muslim woman in the state House of Representatives. Desmond pleaded guilty in April to attempted third-degree sexual assault, attempted first-degree strangulation and endangering a minor – all felonies.

After his prison sentence, Desmond must serve probation, register as a sex offender and undergo psychiatric treatment.

Desmond’s public defender, John Stawicki, said in court that Desmond regrets his actions and struggles with mental illness, including schizophrenia. Desmond said the “events that occurred were beyond my control. I had no self-control.”

Khan, a Democrat from Windsor, a suburb of Hartford, said in a statement that the attack “highlighted serious gaps in our mental health care system and in the safety and protection of victims.”

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

According to court records, Desmond, who lived in New Britain, suffered from a mental illness and was found competent to stand trial following a court-ordered evaluation.

Khan had called for a hate crime charge. She was attacked after she and her family attended a religious service at the XL Center Arena in Hartford to mark Eid al-Adha, the end of the hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.

She stated that she and her family, including her 15-year-old daughter, were taking photos outside the arena when Desmond approached them and said he “intended to have sexual intercourse with one of them.”

Desmond then followed them inside, and Khan said he began to specifically pursue her, grabbing her face and shirt and demanding a kiss. He followed her back outside and tried to grab her face again, she said, and became angry when she “evaded” him. She said he punched her in the face and later put her in a “chokehold” by holding his hand up and pretending to have a gun before slamming her to the ground.

Khan said she was diagnosed with a concussion and suffered damage to her right arm and shoulder.

The Associated Press generally does not name people who report attempted sexual assault unless they publicly identify themselves, as Khan did.

Desmond was chased and detained by two bystanders until police arrived and arrested him. One of the bystanders, a military veteran, was charged with assault and was approved for a pre-trial diversion program that will expunge the charges.