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1 year ago
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A Canadian man who attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer in his San Francisco home has been found guilty.
David DePape, a former nudist from Canada, entered the Pelosis' mansion through a back door in the early hours of October 28, 2022, and bludgeoned former House Speaker Nancy's 82-year-old husband Paul.
The jury deliberated for about eight hours before finding David DePape guilty of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official. DePape, who faces up to 50 years in prison, did not react as the verdict was read in a San Francisco court on Thursday.
The attack, caught on police body camera footage, put Paul Pelosi in hospital with a fractured skull.
During closing arguments, defense attorneys argued that DePape was caught up in conspiracies and was motivated by his political beliefs, not because he wanted to interfere with Nancy Pelosi's official duties as a member of Congress.
Body camera image from San Francisco police show David DePape with Paul Pelosi at the Pelosis' San Francisco home, in the early hours of October 28, 2022. DePape was found guilty of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official. He faces up to 50 years in prison
Defense attorney Angela Chuang delivered closing arguments on Wednesday
Prosecutors say DePape admitted to breaking into the Pelosis' San Francisco residence with the intention of getting the senior Democrat to acknowledge her party's 'lies' - on pain of smashing her kneecaps. She was not home at the time
Finding only her then-82-year-old husband at home, DePape engaged in what he told officers was a 'pretty amicable' exchange, during which Paul Pelosi, pictured, managed to call for help from law enforcement
Prosecutor Helen Gilbert said the defense had made a false distinction between the California Democrat's politics and official duties and that DePape did not differentiate between the two.
DePape's defense attorney conceded that he carried out the assault, which he testified was part of a 'grand plan' to expose Hunter Biden.
In a statement, a spokesman for Nancy Pelosi said she and her family were 'deeply grateful for the outpouring of prayers and warm wishes'.
'The Pelosi family is very proud of their Pop, who demonstrated extraordinary composure and courage on the night of the attack a year ago and in the courtroom this week,' said spokesman Aaron Bennett.
While testifying on Tuesday, DePape wept on the stand and apologized for beating the House Speaker's husband, but admitted he wanted to interrogate Nancy and was ready to break her kneecaps if she had been home.
He told the court: 'I wanted to ask her a question about Russiagate and film it and post it online.
'I was planning to wear the unicorn costume and record it with the body camera I got. I kind of expected her to go along with me and tell me what I wanted to hear.'
Court records of DePape's purchases from Amazon in the months before the attacks revealed a list of items he reportedly took with him to the crime scene.
They included a camping backpack, computer cables, body cameras, crayons and, bizarrely, two Spooktacular unicorn costumes.
DePape added that after he hit Pelosi he felt 'really bad' for him.
He told the court: 'When he was on the ground, bleeding, I was really scared for his life. I felt really bad for him because we had a really good rapport until like the last second.
'I reacted because my plan was basically ruined. He was never the target and I'm sorry he got hurt.'
Prosecutors played the body camera footage of the attack and DePape watched without flinching.
The graphic footage of the hammer attack showed an officer shining a flashlight, confronting DePape with Pelosi in the doorway.
As the two struggle, DePape raises his hammer and smashes Pelosi over the head, striking him three times to the ground.
A screenshot of security footage shows DePape outside the Pelosi home
Paul Pelosi was hit multiple times with the hammer leaving him unconscious as the officers rushed in and arrested DePape
Aerial footage showed broken panes and shattered glass at the backdoor of Pelosi's home after the attack
Another video showed blood gushing from Pelosi's head, with his hands soaked red, as paramedics tended to him.
Stephanie Minor, FBI special agent, testified they reviewed web activity found on DePape's hard drive, including a series of Nancy Pelosi-related searches in the days leading up to the attack.
She testified that there were about 50 video surveillance cameras capturing DePape's trip to carry out the hammer attack.
Paul Pelosi took the stand during the trial and recounted the horrifying experience.
'The door opened and a very, very large man came in with a hammer in one hand and some ties in the other hand,' Pelosi told the court.
'He said where's Nancy?
'He burst into the door and woke me up.'
Testifying for around an hour, Pelosi told the court of his efforts to alert 911 to the threat, without pushing DePape to attack him.
He described negotiating with DePape to go downstairs, where Pelosi hoped he'd be rescued by police. And he told of 'waking up in a pool of blood'.
Pelosi said he has not fully recovered from his injuries. A neurosurgeon who operated on him testified that Pelosi had two wounds on his head, including a fracture to his skull that had to be mended with plates and screws he will have for the rest of his life.
During the trial prosecution played a recording of a call DePage later placed to a news reporter stating: 'I have an important message for everyone in America. You're welcome.'
When authorities arrested DePape, they found a manifesto that contained anti-governmental beliefs and a list of other politicians he planned to target.
He also pleaded not guilty to charges in state court of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary and other felonies.
A state trial has not been scheduled.
English (US)