A US court has authorised the release of footage showing the hammer attack on the husband of former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Body-camera footage shows the moment police arrive at Paul Pelosi's door and confront the attacker last October.

Its release follows a San Francisco court ruling that the district attorney's office must make the materials public.

Alleged attacker David DePape has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges.

The video shows San Francisco police entering Mr Pelosi's home on the night of 28 October, where they see Mr. DePape and Mr Pelosi both holding a hammer.

They direct him to drop the hammer before the attack occurs.

In a statement on Friday, Mrs Pelosi said she has "absolutely no intention of seeing the deadly assault on my husband's life".

“I won't be making any more statements about this case, as it proceeds, except to again, thank people [for well-wishes] and inform them of Paul's progress,” she said.

Court documents filed last year allege Mr. DePape had planned to hold Mrs. Pelosi - a Californian congresswoman who was not home at the time of the attack - hostage and break “her kneecaps” if she “lied” to him.

Mr. DePape told police at the scene that he was sick of the “lies coming out of Washington DC”.

Police have previously said Mr. DePape told them he was on a “suicide mission” when he smashed in the glass backdoor of the Pelosi home in the upmarket Pacific Heights neighbourhood.

He is facing numerous charges, including assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder.

The 42-year-old Canadian national also pleaded not guilty to federal charges of attempting to kidnap a federal official and assaulting a federal official's family member filed by the US Department of Justice.

No trial date has been set for Mr. DePape.

Mr Pelosi was sent to the hospital after the attack, where he underwent surgery for a skull fracture. He also sustained injuries to his hands and right arm.

He was discharged within six days and has been making a slow recovery, and had his first public appearance in early December. (BBC)

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