Man jailed for 8 years for attempted murder

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a June Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to eight years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a man in Zarqa in October 2019. 

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of striking the victim on the head with a blunt object on October 4 following “a heated argument”. 

The defendant was handed a 12-year prison term. However, the court reduced the sentence to eight years because the victim dropped the charges.

Court papers said the victim was in his house when he heard a group of men arguing.

“The victim went to check the matter out and engaged in a minor altercation with the defendant who was one of the people involved in the heated argument,” court papers said.

When the victim turned his back to return to his house, the court continued, the defendant followed him and struck him on the head with the blunt object.

The victim survived the assault after undergoing surgery to his skull at a nearby hospital, the court papers added. 

The defendant contested the Criminal Court’s ruling arguing that the “prosecution failed to provide solid evidence to convict him with the charges”.

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. 

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Yassin Abdullat, Nayef Samarat, Hammad Ghzawi and Mohammad Khashashneh.