Life sentence upheld for man who killed pregnant ex-wife, brother in law

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld an April Criminal Court ruling sentencing a 34-year-old driver to life in prison after convicting him of  murdering his pregnant ex-wife and his brother-in-law in Zarqa in April 2013.

The court declared the defendant guilty of the shooting death of his 19-year-old ex-wife and of her brother, 18, and attempting to murder his own son at their home on April 11.

Court papers said the defendant married the victim when she was around 14-years-old and they had a child.

“The defendant had suspicions about the victim’s behaviours and divorced her as a result,” court documents said.

The defendant kept custody of the couple’s five-year-old son, the court added.

 “The defendant attempted to reconcile with his wife one month before the incident but her family differed with him on the new dowry,” court papers said.

On the day of the incident, the court maintained, the defendant took his son to visit his mother.

“An argument ensued about the possibility of his ex-wife returning to him and he ended up shooting her and her brother, their son and then turned the gun on himself,” the court said.

All four were rushed to a nearby hospital where the ex-wife and her brother were declared dead on arrival. The suspect and his son survived the shootings following medical intervention, the higher court said. 

Government pathologists established that the woman received one fatal bullet to her heart, while her brother was shot in the lungs.  The defendant shot himself once in the chest, while his son was shot in the waist.

The defendant had contested the court’s ruling stating that the victims’ family dropped charges against him and “therefore, he should benefit from a reduction in penalty”.

However, the higher court ruled that “the defendant does not benefit from a reduction in penalty because not all the family members of the victims dropped charges against the defendant”.

“The Criminal Court’s proceedings were accurate and correct and the defendant received the appropriate punishment,” the Cassation Court’s ruling stated.

The Cassation Court is comprised of judges Yassin Abdulat, Mohammad Beirudi, Mohammad Ersheidat, Bassim Mubeidin and Mohammad Tarawneh.