Alameda County Superior Court Judge Joan Cartwright called the crime "one of the most vicious attacks I have seen" when sentencing 44-year-old Ronald Butler on Friday.
Prosecutors said Butler and 26-year-old Tammy Lynn Anderson were living on the streets of Oakland in January 2007 when he attacked her for cash she had just received from prostitution.
Investigators said Butler was an addict seeking money for his next fix.
Defense attorney Spencer Strellis said two witnesses who said they saw the beating were not credible. He said he planned to appeal the verdict.
