Nancy Pelosi's letter to court as husband's hammer attacker David DePape is sentenced

Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul have described the impact of a brutal hammer attack that left the former House Speaker's spouse with a fractured skull in letters to a judge begging for his assailant to be jailed.

Paul Pelosi described how he was beaten unconscious and awoke in a pool of his own blood following the savage assault on October 28, 2022.

David DePape, a former nudist from Canada, was convicted of the attack in November and faces up to 50 years in jail at sentencing today.

He was attempting to target Nancy Pelosi but made her husband 'take the punishment' when it emerged she was not at home.

In his letter, Pelosi described how his life has been 'irrevocably' changed, with 'severe and persistent' injuries interfering with managing basic tasks like buttoning his shirt and using cutlery.

'Ever since the defendant violently broke into my home and woke me up yelling “Where’s Nancy?” at 2:00 am on October 28, 2022, my life has been irrevocably changed,' he wrote. 

Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul have described the impact of a brutal hammer attack that left the former House Speaker's spouse with a fractured skull in letters to a judge begging for his assailant to be jailed

 

In her letter, Nancy Pelosi requested a 'very long punishment' for the savage attack which has left her husband permanently injured

The sickening attack was caught on surveillance footage which Paul Pelosi has not been able to view due to the trauma 

David DePape, a former nudist from Canada , was convicted of the attack in November and faces up to 50 years in jail

'Awakened by a large violent man holding a hammer and zip ties, I tried to calm him and save my own life.'

He explained in excruciating detail the damage done to nerves in his forehand, which was 'was “de-gloved” exposing raw nerves and blood vessel'.

He added that the trauma is still so great he is unable to discuss the events with anyone or watch back the harrowing surveillance footage which captured the attack.

'It has taken many months to reclaim my home and well-being. Even so, we do not answer our landline phone or our front door due to ongoing threats,' he wrote.

'I ask that you consider the premeditated kidnapping of my wife, the vicious assault on my life, and the ongoing physical and mental injuries caused by the defendant and sentence him to the fullest extent the law provides.'

His wishes were echoed by his wife, who wrote of the 'devastating' impact of the attack which 'echoing the January 6th threats - filled me with deep fear and pain'.

'Paul was nearly killed in the front entrance to our home. Even now, eighteen months after the home invasion and assault, the signs of blood and break-in are impossible to avoid,' she wrote.

The former speaker described her fear of a copycat attack and explained that her husband's recovery has taken a toll on her professional life. 

DePape was found guilty of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official.

Paul Pelosi said his life had changed 'irrevocably' since the attack which left him with persistent nerve damage in his hand. Pictured: Pelosi wearing a hat and glove two months after the assault

Paul Pelosi described how he has been left struggling with basic tasks such as buttoning shirts and using cutlery due to agonizing nerve damage sustained during the attack

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.

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.

During his testimony, 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.'

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

Defense attorney Angela Chuang delivered closing arguments on Wednesday

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

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. 

Aerial footage showed broken panes and shattered glass at the backdoor of Pelosi's home after the attack

Paul Pelosi attends a portrait unveiling ceremony for his wife in Statuary Hall at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 14, 2022. He was frequently seen sporting a hat in the wake of the attack

 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.

Opening arguments in the state trial are scheduled for either May 24 or 28.