KOTA KINABALU, July 31 -- A plumber was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Sessions Court here for attempting to murder a teenage girl two months ago.

Judge Marlina Ibrahim convicted Gambu Kumbit, 29, on his own guilty plea to a charge under Section 307 of the Penal Code, which provides for up to 20 years' imprisonment.

The accused was charged with using a knife to stab the undocumented teenager, 16, in the neck inside a toilet of an unnumbered house in Penampang on May 7.

According to the facts of the case, Gambu went to the house to collect on a debt and encountered the girl who was in the toilet washing her face.

The teenager proceeded to scold and curse at the accused, who left but returned with a knife in his hand.

As the...