Court upholds ruling in favour of victim shot over debt

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a January Criminal Court ruling sentencing two men to prison for a total of 22 months for harming a man who failed to pay off an old debt in eastern Amman in June 2011.

The defendants were convicted of misdemeanor assault and instigating a crime by the Criminal Court.  Defendant Issa M. was sentenced to one year for shooting the victim three times in the leg, while defendant Ghassan D. got 10 months for instigating the shooting incident.

The court also ordered the pair to pay JD5,800 in compensation to the victim as well as an additional JD300 in lawyers’ fees.

Court papers said that the victim and Ghassan had long-standing financial feuds and had cases in courts against each other.

“Ghassan decided to take revenge and asked Issa to assault the defendant and paid him JD6,000 since he knew he was in dire need of money,” the court papers said.

Ghassan also informed Issa of where the victim lived and gave him a full description of his appearance, the court maintained.

According to court documents, on June 18 Issa monitored the victim’s house “and the minute he saw him he jumped from a van and fired three rounds at his legs striking him once.” 

The Cassation Court, which issued its ruling a few months ago, upheld the Criminal Court’s ruling, stating that it fell within the law and that the proceedings were proper.

The tribunal comprised judges Mahmoud Ababneh, Yassin Abdullat, Mohammad Tarawneh, Dawoud Tubeleh and Hussein Sakaran.