Man gets 8 years in jail for attempted murder

AMMAN — The Cassation Court upheld a December Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to eight years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a man in Irbid in April 2019.

The Criminal Court first declared the defendant, a street vendor, guilty of attempted murder following a dispute over JD20 and a chicken on April 12, 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 defendant and another man engaged in “a heated argument” while standing in the street.

"The two men attacked each other and the victim, who happened to be in the area, intervened to break the fight," court documents said.

The defendant drew a switchblade and “stabbed the victim once in the back”, court papers said.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and survived the stabbing after undergoing several surgeries, the court papers added.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the ruling. The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and that the defendant was given the appropriate punishment.

Meanwhile, the defence team asked the court to acquit his client because the prosecution failed to submit solid evidence in the case.

However, the higher court ruled that the court proceedings were accurate and the defendant deserved the punishment.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Majid Azab, Fawzi Nahar, Hamad Ghzawi and Saeed Mugheid.