San Francisco (AFP) - Prosecutors and defense lawyers set out competing explanations for why a man ended up attacking the husband of former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a hammer, in closing arguments at trial Wednesday.
A San Francisco court has heard how David DePape set out to target the Democrat, visiting her house in California, only to find Paul Pelosi home alone.
While DePape's attorneys do not deny their client fractured the husband's skull in the ensuing confrontation, they dispute prosecutors' claim that he had targeted Nancy Pelosi due to her position as a US Congresswoman.
The distinction is important, because he has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault on the immediate family of a federal official, and attempted kidnapping of a federal official.
"Mr DePape did horrible things... he committed serious crimes that night. But he didn't commit these two crimes," said defense lawyer Angela Chuang, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Instead, DePape's attorneys claim that Pelosi was one of a number of prominent liberal figures their client had intended to target, driven by his exposure to a vast web of discredited conspiracy theories, many peddled by far-right podcasts and websites.
Other personalities the defendant admitted wanting to attack included a feminist academic, and actor Tom Hanks.
"Don't get sucked into the culture war like DePape did. Take the high road," said Chuang, according to the newspaper.
But prosecutors Wednesday told jurors that Pelosi's position in Congress was a key and inextricable factor in why DePape had targeted her.
"Would he have gone to the Pelosis' home if Rep. Nancy Pelosi had not been a member of Congress?" asked prosecutor Helen Gilbert.
"No. He deliberately targeted her because of her job, because of her role in our political system. Because of her official duties."
If convicted on the federal charges, DePape could face to up to life in prison. He also faces separate state charges.
During the trial, jurors heard how DePape -- a Canadian former nudist activist who supported himself with occasional carpentry work -- had planned to smash Nancy Pelosi's kneecaps if she did not admit to her party's "lies."
Instead DePape found Paul Pelosi, who engaged him in conversation while managing to call for help from law enforcement.
But moments later, in scenes captured on police bodycam footage, DePape bludgeoned Pelosi with a hammer before officers rushed at him and take the weapon away.
Pelosi was knocked unconscious and spent almost a week in hospital, where he underwent surgery.
DePape told jurors on Tuesday that Paul Pelosi "was never my target and I'm sorry he got hurt."
