"The kneecaps break" Life imprisonment after attack on husband of Nancy Pelosi

He used a hammer to attack the husband of top US politician Nancy Pelosi shortly before the 2022 congressional elections. Now the attacker's long prison sentence will be even longer.

DPA

29.10.2024, 23:17

dpa

The hammer attack on the husband of top US politician Nancy Pelosi will be punished more severely than initially thought. The attacker was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in a second criminal trial at state level in San Francisco, California, according to US media reports. In a first trial at federal level, a judge had already sentenced him to 30 years in prison in mid-May.

Pelosi, who is now 84 years old, was attacked and seriously injured in the couple's home in San Francisco at the end of 2022 - a few days before the US congressional elections. After the attack, he had to undergo surgery for a fractured skull and serious injuries to his right arm and hands. The perpetrator had targeted the then Chairwoman of the House of Representatives herself, but did not find her during the attack. He was arrested at the scene.

Perpetrator wanted to "break Pelosi's kneecaps"

At the time, the attack caused horror in the USA and triggered a debate about politically motivated violence. Shortly after the crime, US media revealed that the attacker was interested in various conspiracy theories and lies by former US President Donald Trump about alleged fraud in the 2020 presidential election on his online profiles.

Fear of rampant attackDonald Trump and the "enemies within"

The police stated at the time that the perpetrator had intended to take the then Speaker of the US House of Representatives hostage and "break her kneecaps". He had wanted to force the Democrat into a wheelchair to show other members of Congress that their "actions have consequences".