Life in jail for man convicted of murder over old car accident

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a March Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to life in prison after convicting him of killing the brother of a motorist over a car accident in Jafer in February 2017.

The court declared the defendant guilty of the fatal shooting of the brother of a man with whom he was involved in a traffic accident and handed him the maximum punishment.

Court papers said the defendant had a car accident with a man a few months before the shooting incident and the issue was settled between the two.

On the day of the incident, February 7, the defendant was heading to a health clinic in Jafer and met by coincidence the victim and his brother by accident.

“The two had an argument about the old traffic accident, which led the defendant to draw a gun he was carrying, and shoot at the victim and his brother,” the court documents said.

The victim was struck with one bullet in the spinal cord, while his brother escaped the shooting incident unharmed, court documents said.

The defendant contested the Criminal Court’s ruling charging that there were inconsistencies with the verdict.

However, the higher court ruled that the Criminal Court followed the proper procedures and the defendant deserved the verdict he received.

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zubi, Yassin Abdullat, Bassim Mubeidin and Hamad Ghzawi.