A lawyer for Dharmesh Patel — the man accused of driving his Tesla off a California cliff with his family inside — called him a “good man” and “decent human being” with “zero criminal history” as his legal team continues to fight prison time.
Patel was charged with three counts of attempted murder in January 2023 after he allegedly drove his family’s car off a 250-foot cliff at Devil’s Slide with his wife Neha Patel and their two children — an 8-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son — inside. (Authorities previously told PEOPLE that both parents were injured in the crash, their daughter was hospitalized and their son was left with “bumps and bruises, but no injuries.”)
Both his wife and his legal team have argued for jail time and want mental health treatment for Patel instead.
During a hearing held in Mental Health Diversion Court at the San Mateo County Courthouse on Friday, May 10, Patel’s family and a judge heard closing arguments as his defense attorney Joshua Bentley argued why he should not face criminal charges, according to 4 Crowns.
The wife of the doctor who pushed Tesla off the cliff asks the court to spare him prison: ‘We need him in our lives’
Dharmesh Patel, The Fall of Tesla.
Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock; Sergeant Brian Moore/San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office via AP
Stating that “not everyone who commits a crime is a criminal,” Bentley went on to argue why the judge should rule in favor of mental health diversion.
“MR. Patel is a good man, a good husband and a good father. He is beloved in his community. No criminal past. [The crash]it was 100 percent mental health episodes. He is being treated for 16 months. Every case has a risk factor,” he said, reports KRON.
Per Mercury News, Bentley also mentioned that 47 letters of support had been written for Patel. Bentley reiterated that if approved for treatment, his client would be placed under an intensive program and monitored with a GPS bracelet with a siren, KRON reported.
“It wasn’t him. It was a 100% mental health episode,” the lawyer said, according to San Francisco Chronicle. “MR. Patel is a decent human being with no criminal record. The law requires this very exact situation and allows the court to redirect.”
Deputy District Attorney Dominique Davis argued Friday that the case should not qualify for mental health diversion, saying “the defendant will pose an unreasonable danger to public safety.”
She cited testimony from Dr. Yan Chan and said Patel had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, KRON said.
The disease is “characterized by a combination of symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations or delusions, and symptoms of a mood disorder, such as depression or mania,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
“He heard footsteps at night,” the prosecution said, according to KRON. “He was afraid that his children would be sold into sexual slavery. He carried the knife for three days. None of this was based on reality… and the accused felt compelled to act. He carried his whole family over the cliff. It’s a very high and deadly drop.”
“The scariest thing is that no one saw this coming,” Davis added, noting that Patel was able to “mask” his mental illness.
Davis also cited Patel’s concerns about Russia and Ukraine, child sex trafficking and Jeffery Epstein at the time of the crash.
A father who drove his family of four off the Cliff suffered a mental breakdown, doctors say
Defense experts Dr. James Armontrout and Dr. Mark Patterson diagnosed Patel with major depressive disorder, according to KRON. His team, who denies he suffers from schizoaffective disorder, said he would benefit from an outpatient treatment program through El Camino Health Hospital.
According to KRON, Patel faces decades in prison if convicted and if his case leads to a criminal trial. Judge Susan Jakubowski said she would not rule until June 20.
“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t take the time I needed to get through this case,” she said, according to Chronicle.
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Patel’s wife advised that her husband get mental health treatment – which, if approved, would get him out of jail and put him on a two-year treatment plan.
“I don’t want to see Dharmesh prosecuted on any of his charges,” Neha told the judge on May 2 via Zoom, at different locations. “I am asking the court to grant him his mental diversion.”
“Watching my children in constant pain is one of the hardest things I’ve had to endure,” she continued. “Once I tuck my children into bed at night, I am reminded of my own loneliness. I miss my best friend so much. I really miss my partner in life.”
Neha also claimed that the treatment “will not only bring him back to himself, but will rebuild our family.”
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Source: HIS Education