LONGUEUIL, Que. -- A woman who had acid tossed into her face by an ex-boyfriend in 2012 appeared disappointed with the sentence he received on Tuesday.

Nikolas Stefanatos was given a 57-month prison term when he appeared in court in Montreal-area Longueuil.

But with time already served, he has only 16 months remaining.

Stefanatos pleaded guilty last month to aggravated assault against Tanya St-Arnauld with what police described as concrete cleaner.

Outside the courtroom Tuesday, the victim said hearing that her attacker had only another 16 months to serve was "difficult."

"Sixteen months goes fast, but that's the way it goes," St-Arnauld said. "Jurisprudence is like that. I accept it. There's nothing more I can do.

"In 16 months, he'll look normal, he'll be able to change his name. And in 16 months I'll still be scarred, I'll still be walking around with that same stigma."

St-Arnauld suffered serious burns to her head and upper body and was in a medically induced coma for days. She later required skin grafts.

After his guilty plea, Stefanatos read a letter in court expressing his regrets, but St-Arnauld left the courtroom while it was being read.

She appeared on Anderson Cooper's "Anderson Live" in January 2013, where she received news that a Miami-based dermatologist would fly her down for treatment.