A Quebec man has pleaded guilty to a 2012 attack on his then-girlfriend, in which she was splashed with acid.
Nikolas Stefanatos was charged with aggravated assault and assault causing bodily harm after a bucket of corrosive cleaning product containing acid was splashed on Tanya St-Arnauld, causing horrible chemical burns to her head, face and chest.
Stefanatos entered a surprise guilty plea in a Longueuil, Que., court Thursday morning, just three weeks before his trial was set to begin.
He expressed remorse and said he loved St-Arnauld. He said he was pleading guilty because he wanted to avoid causing further pain to St-Arnauld and her family.
In an interview with CTV Montreal, St-Arnauld said she left the courtroom when Stefanatos started apologizing and saying that he wished he could have comforted her.
“There’s no consoling me with words, no,” she said.
St-Arnauld said she only wanted to her Stefanatos say, “Yes, I’m guilty.”
St-Arnauld was placed in a medically-induced coma after the attack and has been slowly recovering from the burns, which covered 70 per cent of her body. She has undergone multiple surgeries and procedures, including some in the U.S.
She said Thursday that, despite receiving the best treatment available, she still has visible scars, as well as some mobility and strength issues.
In December, St-Arnauld will have another procedure on her head in an attempt to reduce the scar tissue and sensitivity on her scalp.
“I’m doing a lot better,” she said, adding that she is moving on with her life.
Stefanatos has already spent 2 ½ years in custody while awaiting trial. He is expected back in court on Dec. 3, when sentencing arguments will begin.
The maximum sentence for aggravated assault is 14 years in prison, but St-Arnauld said no amount of jail time will make up for what she has gone through.
“I’m not going to get back what I lost, never.”
With a report from CTV Montreal’s Stephane Giroux
