A judge sentenced the man who violently attacked Paul Pelosi, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, at his San Francisco home to 30 years behind bars.
A jury convicted David DePape in November of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on a family member of a public official. The conviction regarded his break-in of Pelosi’s private residence, where DePape bludgeoned the 83-year-old Paul with a hammer in an attempt to track down his wife on Oct. 28, 2022, according to ABC 7.
The sentencing is less than the 40-year recommendation provided Saturday by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Prosecutors said the “sentencing factors compel the statutory maximums recommended here.”
DePape plotted to kidnap Nancy and use her to unravel what he believed to be a massive network of government conspiracy. When he could not find Nancy, he fractured her husband’s skull and caused serious injuries to the arms and legs, according to The AP.
Paul testified before a jury in November where he detailed the gruesome attack.
“The door opened, and a very large man came in with a hammer in one hand and some ties in the other, and he said, ‘Where’s Nancy?’ as I think that woke me up,” Pelosi testified. “I’m asleep, and he bursts in the door, and that woke me up.”
Paul Pelosi attacker David Depape has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. https://t.co/eVEs2X4BO9
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 17, 2024
The former speaker’s husband did not hear DePape break into his home with a hammer, but he called 911 before the intruder smacked the phone out of hand, according to NBC News. The two made their way downstairs when officers arrived at the scene, where they witnessed DePape beat Paul with the hammer, according to body camera footage. (RELATED: ‘Drop The Hammer’: Bodycam Footage Reportedly Unveils New Details In Paul Pelosi Attack)
DePape testified in his own defense, where the defendant stated he felt sorry for seriously injuring Paul. He confessed his plan to kidnap Nancy, wear an inflatable unicorn costume and interview her on how Russia interfered in the 2016 election, The AP reported. He said he lashed out at Paul because Nancy was not home at the time, damaging his plot.
“When he was on the ground breathing, I was really scared for his life,” DePape testified. “And later in the hospital, I felt really bad for him because we had a really good rapport and things were going good until the last second.”
His defense team argued DePape attacked Paul due to his alleged delusional beliefs on ideas surrounding Hunter Biden’s corruption, Tom Hanks, George Soros and an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan. DePape pleaded not guilty to all charges in 2022.
