Cassation Court upholds 8-year sentence for man convicted of attempted murder

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld a February 2024 Criminal Court ruling, sentencing a man to eight years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a man in Zarqa in November 2023.

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of attempting to murder a 24-year-old man on Nov. 1 over old feuds. 

The defendant was handed the maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.

However, the court decided to reduce the sentence to eight years because the victim dropped charges against the defendant.

Court papers said the defendant and the victim had old feuds.

The court did not disclose the nature of the feuds.

On the day of the incident, the court maintained, the victim was standing next to a barber shop in downtown Zarqa when he was spotted by the defendant who was in his vehicle.

"The defendant descended from his vehicle, drew a sharp object and stabbed the victim once in the chest following a short argument then fled,” court documents said.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and survived the stabbing incident after undergoing a few surgeries, court papers added.

The defendant did not appeal his verdict at a higher court.

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the eight-year sentence 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 Mahmoud Ebtoush, Nayef Samarat, Hammad Ghzawi, Qassem Dughmi and Mohammad Khashashneh.