Cassation Court upholds 8-year sentence for man convicted of attempted murder

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a February Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to eight years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a man in Amman in February 2021.

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of attempted murder on Jan. 12 and handed him a 12-year prison term.

However, the court reduced the sentence to eight years because the victim dropped charges against the defendant.

Court papers said the victim and the defendant had old feuds and would often argue about it.

On the day of the murder, the court maintained, the defendant invited the victim to his house to discuss the old feuds.

When the 43-year-old victim arrived, the court added, the two started arguing immediately.

“The defendant drew a gun and fired several rounds at the victim striking him in the leg,” court papers said.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and survived the shooting event due to medical intervention, according to court transcripts.

The defendant contested his ruling via his lawyer arguing that there were “legal errors in the investigation procedures”.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the eight-year sentence.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and that the defendant was given the appropriate punishment.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mahmoud Ebtoush, Nayef Samarat, Hammad Ghzawi, Mohammad Shreiri, and Mohammad Khashashneh.