An autistic Florida teen was sentenced to five years in a state prison for the brutal beating of a teacher’s aide last year.
Brendan Depa, who has autism spectrum disorder, was also handed 15 years probation on Tuesday by the judge in the well publicized case, reports the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
In February 2023, a video went viral of the Palm Coast student who was seen chasing Joan Naydich on the Matanzas High School’s surveillance video and then knocking her down before pummelling the unconscious woman.
Court heard that the hulking 6-foot-6, 270-pound Depa, who was 17 at the time of the incident, savagely beat the educator over a Nintendo Switch gaming console.
Judge Terence Perkins cited the video for the harsh sentence.
“It captures the senseless, extreme violence in a very troubling way,” he said.
An expert witness during the trial testified that Depa, who turns 19 later this month, knew what he was doing was wrong.
“Compounding the senseless physical violence was the screaming of obscenities, spitting on Ms. Naydich both before and during the incident,” the judge continued.
“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 in 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.”
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The judge also ordered that the state’s department of corrections conduct a mental health assessment of Depa and create a care plan.
The News-Journal reports the minimum sentence for this type of assault would be around three years in prison, citing the state’s guidelines.
During the trial, it was revealed that Depa has autism spectrum disorder.
His adoptive mother, Leann Depa, criticized the judge’s sentence.
“They are punishing that he is Black, they are punishing that he is large, and they are punishing his disability,” she said.
His mother blamed the attack on the school for not properly handling his disabilities.
“I think he needs help. Absolutely. I think he needs help. And I think he needs treatment, but I don’t think he needs to be put away in a prison where he’s going to be taken advantage of or harmed,” she added.
Depa will receive credit for the time spent in jail, approximately 17 months.