Florida: ‘death sentence’ for young man who hit his teacher over a Nintendo Switch

Last February, shocking images of a student from Florida 17-year-old who attacked an assistant teacher allegedly for having confiscated his nintendo switch. The case became so important and was considered so serious that it was decided that the teenager would be treated as an adult. Now he faces a possible judgment that his mother describes as “a death penalty.”

Brendan Depa, who is now 18 years old, will face up to 30 years in prison for throwing the Matanzas high school teacher’s assistant to the ground and beating him, Joan Naydich, whom he kicked and hit in the back and head more than a dozen times.

The teenager’s mother, Leanne Depa, stated that a penalty of prison of so many years it will be a death warrant for his son, so he begged the victim to request a lesser punishment.

“I am very sorry for what my son did and no one should go through that. But at the same time consider that my son has had a difficult life and has gone through a lot of trauma. He has autism. Please have mercy on him,” he asked Naydichy He added: “I feel that if they sentence him to prison It would be death warrant for him. He’s scared. For your child to call, cry and say ‘I don’t want to die’ is horrible.”

The teenager who hit a teacher over a Nintendo Switch in Florida

Brendan Depaa teenager weighing 270 pounds and 6.6 feet tall, pleaded guilty last month to beating Joan Naydich leaving her with five broken ribs, hearing loss and, according to the victim’s statements, ongoing cognitive problems.

According to his mother’s statements, the young man has struggled with severe autism, attention deficit disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and explosive reactive disorder, which is why she had always educated him at home, as he could not handle the school environment. , but the support group he was in assured him that he could handle public school.

It should be said that the Teen He had already had three assault arrests that were classified as misdemeanors and only required him to be part of a youth services program. But he is currently in prison after the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court ruled that for the incident at school he would be tried as an adult for aggravated assault, a serious crime that is punishable by up to 30 years in prisonsentence you are waiting for Naydich.

When the Teen was arrested and told the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office that he was upset with the victim because he had taken his Nintendo Switch. However, when the woman was questioned, she denied having confiscated the video game.

It will not be until January when the judgment, once the testimonies of witnesses from both the accused and the defense are included. It is believed that the lawyers of the Teen They will emphasize his mental condition and argue that he is not competent to stand trial, but his behavioral problems and autism do not constitute a defense in Florida so for now Brendan Depa He is facing a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. prison and a bail of one million dollars.