The Florida highschool scholar who brutally attacked a instructor’s aide over a Nintendo Change wrote an apology letter to the sufferer admitting to creating a “mistake” he vowed by no means to repeat, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On Aug. 6, Brendan Depa, 18, was sentenced to 5 years in jail for felony aggravated battery after his assault on paraprofessional Joan Naydich in February 2023 at Matanzas Excessive Faculty in Palm Coast.
Within the letter titled “Apology”, which was obtained by NewsNation however by no means learn in court docket, Depa wrote: “Many individuals have claimed that I really feel no regret for the incident of final 12 months, and that I don’t take duty for my actions.
“This isn’t true: I’m extraordinarily sorry for injuring Miss Joan so severely and I’m joyful to see the accidents I inflicted didn’t go away any everlasting scars or bruises.”
Because the incident, Depa has been working with a tutor, Gene Lopes, who reportedly has been encouraging the teenager to work on understanding the results of his actions.
Lopes mentioned: “He wrote this himself. Brendan is a gifted author, as you possibly can see from this. So this was all him.”
Safety cameras on the college captured Depa operating towards the paraprofessional, who turns and sees Depa proper earlier than he shoves her to the bottom.
Depa repeatedly stomps on the unconscious educator earlier than punching her 15 occasions. A number of employees members then head in to take away him from Naydich and maintain him on the ground.
The teenager added in his letter: “I acknowledge what I did was fallacious and take duty for my actions. I deeply remorse permitting my feelings to get the very best of me and letting issues occur the best way that they did.”
In the course of the sentencing, Choose Terence Perkins mentioned Depa had no regret for the assault and famous it wasn’t an remoted incident, as the teenager has had quite a few battery fees previously.
Depa, nonetheless, argued in his letter that the assault in February 2023 and the next conviction mustn’t outline him.
He continued: “In a alternative between letting this incident destroy, outline or strengthen me, I’ve chosen to let it strengthen me. Throughout my incarceration, I’ve realized coping expertise to make sure one thing like this by no means occurs once more.
“I made a mistake – one I’ll by no means let occur once more – and I’m sorry.”
After the sentencing listening to, Depa’s adoptive mom, Leanne, alleged her son was being punished as a result of “he’s black, they’re punishing that he’s massive and they’re punishing his incapacity”.
She instructed the Daytona Seaside Information-Journal: “I believe he wants assist, and I believe he wants therapy. However I don’t assume he must be put away in a jail the place he will be taken benefit of or harmed.”
Depa has been identified with autism, ADHD and temper dysfunction, in response to officers.
His mom mentioned she has obtained a number of presents from hospitals and group houses which can be keen to take her son as an alternative choice to jail.
She instructed NewsNation: “He’s scared. To have your little one name and cry and say, ‘I don’t need to die’ – it’s terrible.”