Death sentence upheld in 70-year-old woman’s murder case

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a January Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to death after convicting him of robbing, sexually assaulting and murdering a 70-year-old woman in her home in east Amman in February 2017.

The court declared the 25-year-old defendant guilty of murdering the elderly women with a gas cylinder while at her apartment in the five-storey building in Jabal Akhdar and handed him the maximum punishment.

The court also convicted the defendant of sexual assault and robbery.

Court documents said the defendant knew the victim because he was her son’s friend.

“The defendant decided to rob the victim so he climbed some iron bars to reach her house around mid-night, took a gas cylinder and a television set,” court papers said.

The defendant then headed to the victim’s room where he sexually assaulted her, then struck her with her own gas cylinder, stole her mobile and left, according to court transcripts.

In the meantime, the victim’s son heard noises and became suspicious because it was late at night so he rushed from his apartment and saw a man running in the street with a TV set and a gas cylinder, the court added.

“The victim’s son ran after the suspect but was unable to stop him so he returned to his mother’s apartment to find her lying dead on the floor,” the court said.

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, Saeed Mugheid and Nayef Samarat.