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Brendan Depa, 18, was sentenced to five years in state prison on Tuesday for “brutally” beating a high school teaching assistant over a Nintendo Switch. The incident, which occurred on February 21, 2023, at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast, Florida, was captured on video and widely reported. Depa will also serve 15 years of probation following his release, as reported by Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Depa, then 17, attacked Joan Naydich after an altercation involving the gaming console. The video shows Depa assaulting Naydich in a school hallway, pushing her to the ground, and repeatedly kicking and punching her.
“Compounding the senseless physical violence was the screaming of obscenities, spitting on Ms. Naydich both before and during the incident,” Circuit Judge Terence Perkins said, also highlighting Depa’s lack of remorse. “He pursued her down the hallway, pushed her so violently from behind that she flew through the air and was knocked unconscious when she landed on the hallway floor. He then proceeded to kick her, then jump on top of her, striking her in the head and body more than 15 times.”
Depa’s defense argued that his autism spectrum disorder and his mother’s criticisms of the sentence should be considered. Leanne Depa claimed that the sentence was influenced by racial and disability biases and criticized the school for not managing her son’s disabilities properly.
Assistant State Attorney Melissa Clark argued for a substantial punishment, stating, “He almost killed a woman. He should be punished for that.” Naydich, who suffers from PTSD and other long-term impacts, noted the significant personal and professional consequences of the attack.
Depa has the right to appeal the sentence but is ordered to have no contact with Naydich and to remain 500 feet away from her home and workplace.
