Cassation Court upholds up to 20-year sentences for two men convicted of attempted murder, robbery

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a May 2022 Criminal Court ruling, sentencing two ex-convicts to prison terms ranging from 20 to 12 years in prison after convicting them of attempting to rob and murder a man in Sahab in February 2020.

The Criminal Court declared the defendants guilty of stabbing the victim several times and robbing him of JD250 and his mobile on February 22.

The two defendants were sentenced to 20 years in prison each.

However, the court decided to reduce the prison term for one of the men to 12 years because the victim dropped charges against him.

Court papers said the two defendants were imprisoned in the same correctional and rehabilitation centre.

”The two decided to perform acts of robberies once they were released from captivity,” the court said.

On the day of the incident, the two headed to King Abdullah II Industrial City in Sahab and saw a man walking and decided to rob him, according to court papers.

"The defendants attacked the man, snatched his mobile and some cash stabbed him multiple times with a switchblade in the stomach and fled," court documents said. 

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital where he underwent several surgeries to halt the internal bleeding, the court papers said.

The defendants did not contest their verdict at a higher court.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold sentences passed against the defendants.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and that the defendants were given the appropriate punishment.

The Cassation Court bench comprised judges Mahmoud Ebtoush, Majed Azab, Hayel Amr, Mohammad Shreiri and Fawzi Nahar.