Cassation Court upholds 12-year sentence for man convicted of attempted murder

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a January 2024 Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to 12 years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder his neighbour in Amman in May 2022.

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of attempting to murder his neighbour following a heated argument on May 25.

The defendant was given the maximum sentence of 12 years for also causing a partial permanent disability.

Court papers said the defendant and the victim were neighbours and would often argue.

On the day of the incident, the court maintained, the defendant had an argument with the victim’s relatives.

The victim decided to intervene and headed to the defendant’s house, according to court documents.

“The minute the victim approached his neighbours’ door, the latter struck him with a wooden stick on different parts of his body,” the court said.

The spleen was badly injured and had to be extracted following a medical intervention, the court maintained.

The defendant contested his ruling via his lawyer, arguing that he court relied on contradictory statements by some witnesses.

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

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, Mohammad Shreiri, Mohammad Khashashneh and Hammad Ghzawi.