A Nigerian man accused of trying to bomb a US-bound flight on Christmas Day 2009 could receive a life sentence from a court in Detroit.Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 25, pleaded guilty to attempting to blow up a commercial plane as a would-be suicide mission for al-Qaeda.Abdulmutallab was badly burned when a bomb sewn into his underwear failed to detonate fully, prosecutors said.Almost 300 people were on the flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. The son of a Nigerian banker, Abdulmutallab faced eight counts against him, including terrorism and attempted murder.Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a militant group based in Yemen, said it was behind the attempted attack.Bolder, strongerAhead of the sentencing, assistant defence lawyer Anthony Chambers argued that a life sentence for Abdulmutallab would be unconstitutional, since no other passengers were hurt.Sentencing guidelines direct the judge to impose a mandatory life sentence, but Mr Chambers appealed for a lighter term."Not one passenger lost his or her life. Not one passenger suffered life-threatening injuries," he said.Prosecutors say a life sentence is warranted because an attempted terror attack heightens public fear and burdens airports with expensive and time-consuming security procedures.Abdulmutallab and some of the passengers aboard the Detroit-bound flight are expected to make statements at the hearing.