A man accused in the savage attack of a Dallas teenager has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.
The 2012 rape and stabbing of a 17-year-old girl who was on her way to school horrified even veteran police detectives at the time.
Tommy Robinson, a.k.a. Tommy King, was not in a Dallas County courtroom to hear his fate Tuesday, nor was he present to see and hear from his victim who survived the attack.
Robinson is currently in the intensive care unit at Parkland Memorial Hospital after overdosing on medication.
The 65-year-old will likely die in prison.
Lida Nguyen summoned the courage to be in court.
She said she remembers Robinson telling her "have a nice life" before leaving her for dead in 2012.
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Now 22, Nguyen was hoping to finally look her attacker in the face and tell him she is indeed having a nice life.
Nguyen took the stand at the sentencing hearing Tuesday.
The visiting judge did not allow audio in the courtroom, but he handed down the sentence of 50 years in prison.
Robinson will be 90 years old before he is eligible for parole.
Nguyen spoke with NBC 5 after the sentencing.
She said while the sentence was not the maximum of 99 years, she is satisfied and wanted to ensure Robinson heard her impact statement.
"I will never forget what happened to me but I'm a survivor," she said. "What doesn't kill you does make you stronger. I survived and I thrived, but no one should have gone through this trauma. What happened to me does not define who I am. I define myself every day through my own actions. I am no longer a victim. I'm a fighter. Tommy Robinson, you may have hurt me, but you will not hurt me anymore or anyone else. I did and I will continue to have a nice life."
