Brendan Depa, 18, was sentenced to five years in prison on Tuesday for “brutally” beating a high school assistant on 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. According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Depa will serve another 15 years in prison upon his release.
Depa, who was 17 at the time, attacked Joan Neidich after an argument involving a games console. The video shows Depa attacking Neidich in the school hallway, pushing her to the ground and punching and kicking her multiple times.
“The senseless physical violence was compounded by people spitting and screaming at Ms. Neidich before and during the incident,” Circuit Judge Terrence Perkins said. Pa showed no remorse. “He chased her down the corridor and pushed her violently from behind, causing her to fly into the air and knock her unconscious as she landed on the corridor floor. He then began kicking her before jumping on top of her, striking of her body.
Depa’s defense argued that his autism spectrum disorder and his mother’s criticism of the sentence should be taken into account. Leanne Depa claimed the sentence was influenced by racial and disability bias and criticized the school for failing to properly manage her son’s disability.
Assistant State’s Attorney Melissa Clark argued for a harsh sentence, saying, “He almost killed a woman. He should be punished for that.” Neidich suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Among other long-term effects, he noted the attack had significant personal and professional consequences.
Depa has the right to appeal the verdict but was ordered to have no contact with Neidich and to stay 500 feet away from her home and workplace.
