Man gets life term for murder

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a May   Criminal Court ruling sentencing a young man to life in prison for robbing and murdering his customer in Amman in October 2014.

The court declared the 25-year-old defendant, who has a previous criminal record for theft and assault, guilty of stabbing the victim to death in Sahab on October 3 and gave him the maximum punishment.

Court documents said on the day of the incident the victim waved down the young man to catch a ride with him to a nearby area for 1JD.

When the defendant, who was intoxicated, reached the destination, he asked for 2JD, court papers said.

The victim refused and when he went to pay the defendant, he also pulled out two JD20 bills from his pocket, court documents said.

"The defendant spotted the cash and locked the doors and sped off asking the victim to give him all his money," according to court papers.

The victim refused so the defendant "drew a knife and stabbed the victim once in the heart and neck", according to court papers.

"The defendant dumped the victim's body in the street and sped away," court papers added.

The Criminal Court’s general attorney had asked the higher court to uphold the sentence, stating that the court had abided by the proper legal procedures when sentencing the defendant.

The defendant contested the ruling, arguing that he should get a reduction in penalty since he is young and deserves a second chance at life. 

However, the higher court ruled that the Criminal Court followed the proper procedures and that the defendant deserved the verdict.

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zu’bi, Bassim Mubeidin, Majid Azab and Saeed Mugheid.