Cassation Court upholds 10-year sentence in attempted murder case

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a November Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to 10 years in prison with hard labour after convicting him of attempting to murder a man in Ruseifeh in June 2023.

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of attempted murder on June 30 near an amusement park and handed him a 12-year prison term.

Court papers said the victim was standing at the entrance of the Arda Al Farah Entrainment City door in Rusiefeh when the defendant approached him.

“The defendant asked the victim, whom he knew in the past, for money to enter the amusement park but the victim refused,” court documents said.

The defendant drew a switchblade and shouted at the victim to hand him the amount and an argument ensued.

“The defendant stabbed the victim in the stomach and fled,” the court added.

He was arrested a few days later, the court maintained.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital where he underwent a handful of surgeries, court documents stated.  

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

The court-appointed lawyer also claimed that the court disregarded her request to cross-examine a witness who was in the area at the time of the assault.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the 12-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.