Court upholds five-year sentence in Balqa attempted murder case

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld an October 2017 Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to five years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder his neighbour in Balqa Governorate in December 2013.

The court declared the defendant guilty of stabbing his neighbour following a heated argument on December 8, and handed him a 10-year prison term.

However, the court decided to immediately reduce the sentence by half because the victim dropped charges against the defendant. 

Court documents said the children of the defendant and the victim had a fight on the day of the incident.

The victim and some of his relatives went to discuss the incident with the defendant in the presence of his siblings and a “huge brawl broke out”, according to court documents.

“The defendant drew a knife and stabbed the victim once in the chest,” according to transcripts.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and survived the fight.

The defendant contested the Criminal Court’s ruling, charging that there was not enough evidence to implicate him in the incident.

However, the Court of Cassation ruled that the Criminal Court’s ruling was accurate and the defendant deserved the punishment he received.

The Court of Cassation was comprised of judges Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zu’bi, Majid Azab, Bassem Mubeidin and Nayef Samarat.