22-year jail term upheld for man who murdered friend over JD2

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a July Criminal Court verdict sentencing a 40-year-old construction worker to 22 years in prison  after convicting him of murdering his friend over a JD2 debt in Irbid in April 2016.

The court declared the defendant guilty of fatally stabbing his friend, aged 43, following an argument on April 18, and handed him a 20-year-prison term.

The court decided to increase the verdict by two years because the defendant “was a repeated offender.”

Court papers said the defendant was playing cards with his friends at a coffee shop in Irbid city.

“The victim approached the defendant and asked to talk to him in private,” court documents added.

The victim asked the defendant to “give him back the JD2 he had lent him recently, but the victim refused and an argument ensued”.

“The defendant drew a switchblade and stabbed the victim repeatedly on his chest and stomach,” according to court papers.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but died shortly afterwards as a result of the stab wounds sustained to his stomach, the court documents added. 

The defendant did not appeal the verdict. The Criminal Court general prosecutor appealed the verdict, asking the Cassation Court to uphold the sentence.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court ruling was correct and the defendant deserved the punishment he received.

The Court of Cassation tribunal comprised judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Yassin Abdullat, Naji Zubi, Bassem Mubeidin and Nayef Samarat.