Authorities say a Slovenian woman who deliberately cut off her hand with a circular saw to collect insurance money faces up to eight years in jail.

Police say the 21-year-old woman, helped by her relatives, had hoped to claim nearly 400,000 euros in insurance payments.

The unidentified woman claimed she had been cutting tree branches when she severed her left hand just above the wrist.

Officials say family members left the severed hand behind rather than bring it to the hospital to ensure the disability was permanent. But doctors recovered it in time to sew it back on.

Police say the incident happened earlier this year after the family had signed insurance contracts with five different insurance companies.

Police say "there was no payment because we discovered the fraud in time."