WFCN –
According to court records, a Florida student was sentenced to five years in prison on Tuesday for the violent assault of a school staff who had taken his Nintendo Switch the previous year.
According to sentencing paperwork from the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court in Flagler County, 18-year-old Brendan Depa pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated violence on an elected official or education employee.
In addition to the 15 years of probation, Depa—who was 17 when the attack occurred—was also given that term.
A teacher’s aide in Flagler County, Florida, was accused of physically assaulting a 17-year-old special needs student after the aide took away the teenager’s Nintendo game. The student went to Matanzas High School.
The employee was knocked to the ground as Depa charged at her, as seen on video. She seemed to lose all strength as he hits and kicks her over a dozen times.
Joan Naydich, the employee, reportedly lost consciousness, according to the arrest report. According to Orlando-based NBC affiliate WESH, Naydich said in court that the attack has left her with ongoing anxiety and PTSD.
“My life will never be what it was before,” she reportedly stated to the station.
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The station stated that Depa’s mother testified that her son’s mental health concerns were exacerbated by the confiscation of his personal devices. According to an order that declared him competent to stand trial, an evaluation that was court-ordered revealed that he has autism along with multiple other disorders.
Leanne Depa expressed her belief that he requires assistance and treatment during an interview with the station following his punishment. “However, I do not believe he should be confined to a penal institution where he will be vulnerable to abuse or damage.”
She went on to say that her son’s school district had let him down by disregarding the tailored education plan that had been put in place to accommodate his unique needs.
A copy of the complaint acquired by WFTS-TV of Tampa shows that her family’s lawyers sued the district this year, accusing school authorities of failing to offer her son the support he needed and of contributing to the assault.
According to the station, the school district declined to comment regarding the accusations. Attempts to reach the district superintendent for comment on Wednesday night were met with silence.