Joliet man sentenced for bludgeoning brother's girlfriend, sexually assaulting her and setting house on fire

A Joliet man has been sentenced after he bludgeoned his brother's girlfriend, sexually assaulted her and then set his brother's home on fire in 2017.

Timothy Gregory, 43, pled guilty to attempted murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault and aggravated arson.

On March 25, 2017, Gregory went to his brother's residence, which he shared with his girlfriend, on Infantry Drive in Joliet.

While at the residence, Gregory, without provocation, repeatedly bludgeoned his brother's girlfriend on the head with a hammer.

He then proceeded to sexually assault her in the living room, where she was passed out.

When the victim regained consciousness, she saw Gregory approaching her and ran into the bathroom, locking the door, prosecutors said.

She passed out again and when she regained consciousness, she saw smoke coming in from under the bathroom door.

As she opened the door, she saw the house engulfed in flames and Gregory standing outside the bathroom door waiting for her.

Gregory then attempted to stop her from leaving the house by pushing her into boxes when she attempted to flee to the front door, prosecutors said.

She ran outside and was assisted by a bystander, who saw her bleeding and staggering outside near the residence.

The victim was sent to the hospital, where she was temporarily put into a medically induced coma for six days and required numerous surgeries resulting from her injuries.

The residence also suffered extensive damage.

"Gregory engaged in evil and sickening conduct that will continue to haunt this courageous victim long after today’s sentencing decision," said Will Count State's Attorney James Glasgow. "Although there is no sentence that can undo the real-life horror this woman experienced, the years Gregory will spend in a cold jail cell will prevent him from committing this sort of savagery on another person as he bears the consequence for his utter lack of humanity."

A judge sentenced Gregory to 35 years in prison. The judge entered a guilty but mentally ill finding, which will not affect the serving of his sentence. The sentence will be served at 85 percent. 

Gregory will receive 2,364 days credit for time served. He also will serve three years of mandatory supervised release, prosecutors said.