Man gets 12-year jail term for attempted murder

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a January Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to 12 years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a man and a woman in Mafraq in April 2019.

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of attempted murder, stemming from “a heated dispute” with the victims, on April 22. The defendant was given the maximum sentence.

Court papers said that the defendant had an old feud with the victim’s family and headed to their house to “discuss the matter”.

"The defendant was armed with a handgun and a blunt object when he headed to the victim’s home," court documents said.

The minute he saw the victims, the court maintained, the defendant opened fire from his handgun striking the male victim in the thigh.

“The defendant then pointed his gun at the female victim and fired once striking her in the leg then fled the scene,” court papers said.

The victims were rushed to a nearby hospital and survived the shooting incident after undergoing few surgeries, 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 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 Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Khashashneh, Fawzi Nahar, Nayef Samarat and Hayel Amr.