Man who attacked Rep. Maryam Khan sentenced to prison – AsAmNews

A Connecticut man who attacked Rep. Maryam Khan last June and pleaded guilty has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Andrew Desmond appeared in Hartford Superior Court on Tuesday and also received 15 years of special parole and a permanent protective order for assaulting Khan in June 2023 outside an Eid al-Adha service. Desmond must also register as a sex offender and receive mental health treatment. He pleaded guilty to charges of attempted third-degree sexual assault, attempted first-degree strangulation and risk of injury to a minor.

According to Khan, she and her family were taking photos after attending an Eid al-Adha service at the XL Center Arena in Hartford, Conn., when Desmond made sexual advances toward her and her daughters, before slapping Khan, choking him. and throwing her to the ground. As a result, Khan suffered a concussion and injuries to his right arm and shoulder. Desmond was chased by two passers-by who held him on the ground until police arrived and arrested him.

After the hearing, Khan said, “I'm glad this is over, I look forward to putting this behind me and moving forward,” in an interview with NBC Connecticut.

“What happened to me a little over a year ago was tragic and will leave a mark on my life and the lives of everyone involved,” Khan said in an interview with NBC News. “But I am proud to see some semblance of justice today. It is important to note that what happened that day is far more common than we would like to admit.”

Khan called for a hate crime investigation shortly after the attack and also accused police of downplaying the violence in his police report. Ultimately, no hate crime allegations were filed, despite calls from Khan's supporters and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

After the hearing, Khan said the case as a whole showed the flaws in the mental health system. She told NBC Connecticut that “Unfortunately, this is a result of some of these lapses, so I'm happy to be able to do some things about it.”

Court records show Desmond had a history of mental illness and was subjected to medication and other mental health issues since he pleaded guilty, according to his attorney in court. Desmond’s defense attorney also said: “He regrets very much what happened. He regrets very much. He is so sorry for causing pain to people who were totally decompensated and schizophrenia had taken over.”

AsAmNews is published by the nonprofit Asian American Media Inc. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our efforts to produce diverse content about AAPI communities. We are supported in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Human Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as a member of Stop the hate program. To report a hate incident or crime and get help, visit CA against hatred.

Related