A 47-year-old Woodland man was sentenced Friday in Solano County Superior Court to 15 years in state prison for a January 2018 machete attack against an elderly man in rural Fairfield.

Brandon Clark Foster, who, on or about Oct. 1, apparently pleaded guilty to an attempted murder charge, appeared in Department 4, facing Judge E. Bradley Nelson in the Hall of Justice in Fairfield.

The prison term came after less than two weeks before Foster, accused of using a knife inflicting great bodily injury against a man who was 74 at the time, was to face a jury trial, the third after two previous trials were each scotched at the last minute.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Mary Nguyen led the prosecution during the case's lengthy journey through the Superior Court system. Deputy Public Defender Jeanette Garcia represented Foster.

Foster's sentencing came after jury selection was suspended on June 22, when Nelson learned that the trial could not proceed as scheduled because of a COVID infection in the family of someone likely to offer key testimony.

In January 2020, Nelson suspended the trial when he learned that the wife of the victim, Bobby R. Watson, had died, coming also at a time when jury selection was underway but some two months before the state and national lockdowns due to the pandemic.

During the January 2020 proceeding, after the prospective jurors left the courtroom, Nelson reminded Foster that he faced two life sentences if convicted at trial because he had withdrawn his not-guilty plea by reason of insanity.

The assault left Watson with life-threatening injuries and the near-amputation of a thumb, alleged crimes that came to vivid light during a preliminary hearing  three years ago.

Foster, whose arrest and conviction record for theft, drug possession and DUI, among other crimes dating back to 1992, had pleaded not guilty to charges of premeditated attempted murder, aggravated mayhem and cruelty to an elder with risk of great bodily injury.

During the mid-October 2018 preliminary hearing, Nguyen called on witnesses, some of whom said they saw Foster attack Watson on or near Abernathy Road. Foster allegedly first attacked him outside his home when Watson went to check on an unexpected power shut-off, for which Foster, investigators believe, was responsible.

Court records indicate Solano County Sheriff's deputies arrived in the area of Abernathy and Rockville roads shortly before 10 a.m. Jan. 19 after receiving a report of an assault with a deadly weapon. First responders found Watson suffering from major cuts over his entire body. By that time, Foster reportedly had fled the scene.

The victim and witnesses gave authorities a description of the defendant.

Around 10:30 a.m., deputies found Foster hiding in a nearby orchard and also found the machete believed to have been used in the attack. He was arrested and booked into Solano County Jail, with bail set at $1 million.

With his apparent plea earlier this month, Foster avoided two life sentences, some additional time for the use of a deadly weapon and for his prior strikes.

In a press release issued Friday afternoon, District Attorney Krishna Abrams called the assault against Watson, now 78, a "horrific" crime and noted his courage to testify during the preliminary hearing.

She recalled that Watson testified that his electricity abruptly went off and he went to check the breaker box. While outside, the defendant, unknown to the victim, "suddenly viciously" attacked Watson with a chain and machete.

Foster repeatedly struck Watson in the head with the machete and Watson then ran down his driveway toward the public road. While in the driveway, he fell down to his knees and the defendant chased him down and continued to strike him.

Watson was hospitalized for a lengthy period of time due to the "substantial injuries," Abrams added in the prepared statement.

There were mistrials declared at the first two jury trials due to COVID-19 and the death of Mr. Watson's wife.

"Tragically, she had witnessed the brutal assault of her husband and it traumatized her for the rest of her life," Abrams wrote in the release.

Since the death of his wife, Watson has since moved out of state to be closer to his family members, she noted.

"His need for closure was great, given the injuries he sustained, the loss of his wife, and the lengthy litigation that took place over the past 4 years regarding the level of defendant's impairment and possible mental health issues," said Abrams.

Watson was present at sentencing today via Zoom and listened as the defendant apologized for his crime.

" On behalf of the District Attorney's Office, we praise Mr. Watson for the courage, strength, and bravery he showed on the day of the assault, but also every day thereafter," added Abrams. "We are grateful that Mr. Watson survived his horrific injuries, that his voice was heard, that the defendant was held accountable, and that justice was served."