Man who attacked Nancy Pelosi’s husband with hammer sentenced to 30 years in prison

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The man who attacked former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in their San Francisco home has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

David DePape, 44, was convicted in November of attempted kidnapping of a federal officer and assaulting the immediate family member of a federal officer.

Aaron Bennett, a spokesman for Ms. Pelosi, issued a statement on behalf of the Pelosi family after the verdict, saying: “The Pelosi family could not be prouder of their pop and his tremendous courage on the night of their own death “To save lives.” Attack and when testifying in this case.”

“Speaker Pelosi and her family are immensely grateful to everyone who has sent love and prayers over the past 18 months as Mr. Pelosi continues his recovery,” he added.

Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 40 years. DePape’s public defenders argued for 14 years, noting that he was in trouble and had no criminal record.

On Friday in California federal court, DePape was sentenced to 20 years in one case and 30 years in another case – both to be served concurrently. He will be given credit for the 18 months he has already spent in custody.

When he testified in court, DePape admitted that he broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco home around 2 a.m. on October 28, 2022, and that he wanted to take the then-speaker hostage and “break her kneecaps” if she lied to him. He also admitted to hitting Paul Pelosi, then 82, with a hammer after police showed up at the residence. He said his plan to end government corruption was failing.

As Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley announced the verdicts, DePape remained silent, sometimes looking down from where he stood. The judge found that he had entered the home of an officer.

“He actually went to the home, which is completely, completely unprecedented,” she said.

The attack was captured on police camera video just days before the 2022 midterm elections.

In a letter to the judge, Mr. Pelosi described the attack, writing about how he was “awakened by a large, violent man holding a hammer and zip ties” and screaming, “Where is Nancy?”

Mr. Pelosi said he was stalked by DePape even after he learned that Ms. Pelosi was in Washington, DC.

“He held me hostage in my own home and said he would wait for her,” he wrote.

“He threatened me and said he would tie me up and wait for my wife. He repeatedly said he could ‘take me out,'” he added.

After persuading DePape to go downstairs, Mr. Pelosi faced the hammer blows, leaving him unconscious in front of police officers who responded after the then 82-year-old made an emergency call from the House restroom.

“When I awoke in a pool of blood, I had severe head, arm and hand injuries,” Mr Pelosi wrote.

Defense attorneys said DePape was motivated by his political beliefs rather than a desire to obstruct a congresswoman’s official work, arguing that that invalidates the charges.

One of the lawyers noted that he was interested in conspiracy theories. The Canadian, who emigrated to the United States more than two decades ago, said in the trial that he was convinced the media lied about former President Donald Trump.

He also spread the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory online, which falsely claims that those in charge of the US government are pedophiles who worship the devil.

DePape told the jury that he planned to wear an inflatable unicorn costume while recording his planned questioning of the speaker.

In addition to the federal charges, DePape was also charged in state court with assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary and other crimes. Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

“My head injuries continue to affect my life. My hair has grown back – but I have bumps on my head from hammer blows and a metal plate from skull surgery. “The feeling of dizziness has not gone away,” Mr. Pelosi wrote, noting that Ms. Pelosi continues to be under 24-hour surveillance even though she has not appeared as a speaker since January last year.

“We cannot completely remove the stain on the floor in the entryway where I bled,” he wrote, adding that he does not discuss the attack with family and avoids media reports about it.

In her letter to the judge, Ms. Pelosi noted that Mr. Pelosi had fainted several times, could not be exposed to bright light for long periods of time, and remained “seated” for the most part.

“When you are attacked in such a public and political way with such threatening language, you always have to be afraid of a copycat,” she wrote.

“When I encourage people — especially women — to consider running for office, physical threats to the family shouldn’t even be a factor, but they are,” Ms. Pelosi added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report