Man who attacked Muslim lawmaker outside prayer service sentenced to prison

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

The Connecticut man who attacked a Muslim lawmaker outside a prayer service last summer was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday, state court records show.

Andrey Desmond, 31, was sentenced to five years in prison in Hartford Superior Court for attempted sexual assault, strangulation and risk of injury to a minor for attacking state Rep. Maryam Khan (D) in outside an Eid al-Adha service in June 2023.

Khan alleged Desmond made sexual advances toward her and her daughters before slapping her, strangling her and throwing her to the ground. The attack resulted in a concussion and an injured right arm and shoulder, she said.

After Tuesday's sentencing, Khan said she was relieved the situation was resolved.

“I'm happy this is over, I'm looking forward to putting this behind me and moving forward,” Khan said, according to NBC News Connecticut.

Desmond pleaded guilty to the charges earlier this year and his lawyer in court said his client has since been placed on treatment for schizophrenia and other mental health disorders, according to Fox 61 court video.

“He regrets very much what happened. He regrets it very much. He is truly sorry for causing pain to people totally decompensated by schizophrenia,” his lawyer reportedly said.

Khan said Tuesday the case highlights problems within the mental health system.

“Unfortunately, this is the result of some of these shortcomings, so I'm happy to be able to do some things about it,” Khan said, according to local news outlet NBC.

Shortly after last year's incident, Khan, who was the first Muslim elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives, called for a hate crime investigation into the incident.

At the time, she also accused police of downplaying the attack, saying it was much more violent than what was described in the police report.

“All I keep thinking about these days is what happens to the women in the city of Hartford who call the police when they are assaulted, when they experience what I experienced, when they experience sexual assault, when they experience physical assault,” she said. » declared last July. “I knew at that point my body had gone numb and I thought I was going to die.”

Ultimately, the prosecutor added felony charges, but did not file the hate crime allegations sought by the lawmaker's supporters.

The Hill has contacted Khan's office for further comment.

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