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 his neighbour in Amman in January 2021.

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of attempting to murder his 40-year-old neighbour in Jabal Taj on Jan. 11 and handed him a 12-year prison term.

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

Court papers said the victim and the defendant had constant feuds two years before the shooting incident.

The court did not specify the nature of the problems.

On the day of the incident, the court maintained, the defendant contacted the victim and asked him to visit him at his house to discuss the constant problems.

While the victim was at the defendant’s house, the latter grabbed a gun and fired one round striking his neighbour in the leg, court papers said.

The defendant then left his house and was later arrested by police, the court maintained.

Meanwhile, the victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and survived the shooting incident, the court papers added.

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.