Joliet man gets 35-year sentence for beating, sexual assault and arson

Timothy Gregory, 43, of Joliet, was sentenced to 35 years in prison in the 2017 bludgeoning with a hammer and sexual assault of his brother’s girlfriend and arson of his brother’s home, according to a news release from Will County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Gregory pled guilty to attempted murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, and aggravated arson and was sentenced Friday by Circuit Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak. The judge entered a guilty but mentally ill finding, which will not affect his serving his ultimate sentence, according to the release.

On March 25, 2017, Gregory went to his brother’s residence, which he shared with his girlfriend, the victim, on Infantry Drive in Joliet. While there, Gregory, without provocation, repeatedly bludgeoned his brother’s girlfriend on the head with a hammer and then proceeded to sexually assault her in the living room where she passed our, the state’s attorney’s office said.

When the victim regained consciousness, she saw Gregory approaching her and ran into the bathroom, locking the door. She again passed out and when she regained consciousness, she saw smoke coming in from under the bathroom door, the state’s attorney’s office said.

The victim tried to open the bathroom door, saw the house engulfed in flames and the defendant standing outside the bathroom door waiting for her, according to the release. Gregory attempted to prevent her from leaving the house by pushing her into boxes when she attempted to flee to the front door, according to the state’s attorney’s release.

She ran outside where she was assisted by a bystander who saw her bleeding and staggering outside near the residence, according to the release.

The woman 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, according to the release. The residence sustained extensive damage.

The sentence will be served at 85%. Gergory will receive 2,364 days credit for time served. He also will serve three years of mandatory supervised release, the state’s attorney’s office said.