A US man who attacked his ex-girlfriend and scalped her with a knife reportedly told the judge during his sentencing “I don’t need a lecture.”
Online, Zachary Gross is claiming that it was his dog, not him, that attacked his ex-wife Marilyn Stanley in 2015.
Stanley’s hair was ripped out and one of his ears was mangled and broken.
Gross, 31, stood his ground this week despite being convicted of two assault charges last month.
“As far as her injuries go, I deeply regret what happened,” Gross told Judge Rick Bruggemann, a court official confirmed.
“I don’t feel responsible. I maintain my innocence. That’s the reality. I’m not asking for your mercy. Just give me $20. No lectures.”
Judge Brueggemann then sentenced Gross to 21 years in prison, with the additional year being for violating parole, according to court records.
Gross also received an additional month in jail for making an obscene gesture toward a news camera during his criminal trial, according to court records.
Zachary Gross says it was his dog that attacked his ex-wife. Photo: County Sheriff’s Office
The judge also ordered the euthanasia of Gross’ dog, a pit bull named Capone, a court source told People Online.
According to court documents, Gross became infuriated when she noticed photos of Stanley and her son on another man’s Facebook page.
The attack happened inside Gross’ trailer.
According to prosecutors, Gross confronted Stanley, who grabbed a knife in self-defense, and when Stanley refused to drop the knife, Gross not only assaulted Stanley but also ordered his dog to attack him.
After the attack, Gross forced Stanley to look at herself in the mirror and mocked her appearance, telling her that no man would want her now that she was bald, according to court documents.
He then drove her to her mother’s house with a piece of Stanley’s scalp in a plastic bag.
Stanley could not be reached for comment Friday. She has undergone six surgeries since the attack but has yet to regrow her hair.
The incident left Stanley with permanent neurological damage and she has no memory of the actual attack.
Stanley spoke briefly to reporters outside the courtroom after watching her ex-husband’s sentencing.
“Nothing he’s said throughout this whole process has shown me any regret,” she said, according to WLWT.
“It’s proven. I went there, I got the scalp, and when I left, there was no scalp.”
