(NewsNation) — Brendan Depa, a Florida student caught on video attacking a teacher’s aide, wrote an apology before being sentenced to five years in prison.

In his apology letter, Brendan Depa expressed exactly what the judge claimed he’d never shown: remorse. However, it was not read during an Aug. 6 sentencing hearing.

The 18-year-old, who suffers from autism, ADHD and mood disorder, was captured on surveillance video in February 2023 beating teacher’s aide Joan Naydich, leaving her with five broken ribs, a severe concussion and hearing loss.

Brendan Depa’s apology left unread

Gene Lopes, Brendan Depa’s tutor, shared the unread apology letter with NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield.

One of the things Lopes said he talked to with Brendan Depa was working through his remorse, and realizing everything he had done. When Lopes asked Depa whether he wanted to write an apology letter after going through this process, the teen said yes.

“He wrote this himself,” Lopes said. “Brendan is a gifted writer, as you can see from this. So this was all him.”

Lopes says he did not edit or change a word of the letter, even though there were details in it about the teacher’s aide’s injuries that were not true. This was because Brendan Depa had not yet seen the video, and was not aware of how much he hurt Naydich.

“I realize what I did was wrong and take responsibility for my actions,” Brendan Depa wrote in the letter, saying he was “extremely sorry” for injuring Naydich so severely. “I recognize what I did was wrong and take responsibility for my actions. I deeply regret allowing my emotions to get the best of me and letting things happen the way that they did.”

Before the sentencing, the judge said “Mr. Depa has never expressed not even a single bit of remorse before this court in any of our many court proceedings, not once with regard to remorse.” In a video obtained from CourtTV, Brendan Depa can be seen attempting to hold up his apology letter, but his request appears to be ignored.

“I would have Brendan in my house in a second,” Lopes said on NewsNation’s “Banfield.” “Everything I’ve done has been working…He’s accepted this. He has been a blessing to me.”

Brendan Depa’s mother speaks out 

Leanne Depa, Brendan Depa’s mother, told NewsNation she’s received written letters from a hospital and group home that are “willing to accept him,” as an alternative to serving time prison time.

“I really don’t think he understands what he’s facing,” Leanne Depa said exclusively on “Banfield.” 

Previously, Leanne Depa had called a prison sentence for her child a “death sentence” for him.

“He’s scared,” Leanne Depa said at the time. “To have your child call and cry and say ‘I don’t want to die’ — it’s awful.”

What the teacher’s aide has said 

Naydich, in a January interview on “Banfield,” at the time said she had “no desire” to see the video of the attack, which she had no memory of.

Surveillance footage from the school shows Brendan Depa walking fast toward Naydich and pushing her several feet, knocking her to the floor and rendering her unconscious.

He is then seen kicking and punching Naydich several times in the back and head, according to a news release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

“Every day is a challenge,” Naydich said, talking about her injuries. “I have lived every day since (the attack) with the repercussions of it, the assault of it, whether it be hearing loss that I have, vision loss, headaches.”

Asked about whether she holds the school or student more accountable for the assault, Naydich said she blames everybody.

“At the end of the day, he’s the one that chose to exit that classroom, come after me and almost take my life,” she said.

Dr. Jeff Gardere, a psychologist, said that the student and teacher’s aide are both victims. His heart goes out to Naydich, Gardere said, but “this is not about Brendan Depa.”

“This is about the failing of our society, the failings of the schools. This is a person with severe autism. This is the diagnosis in addition to other mental health issues,” he said. “So if you see aggression here, it’s because we’re not taking care of the needs of this individual. “

At the end of the day, Gardere said, being in prison will not give Brendan Depa the mental health treatment he needs, and will only cost society “endless amounts of money.”

“How does someone with severe autism actually do a prison sentence that, in itself, is going to be a nightmare?” Gardere questioned.