Death sentence for man who killed elderly for filing complaint against him

AMMAN — The Court of Cassation has upheld an October Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to death after convicting him of robbing and murdering a 78-year-old man who had filed a complaint against him in Irbid in January 2015.

The court declared the defendant guilty of bludgeoning the victim to death while at his ranch in Bani Kenaneh area on January 2 and handed him the maximum sentence.

The defendant also stole JD4 that were in the victim’s pocket, his mobile and his vehicle, the court maintained. 

Court papers said that the defendant had stolen the victim’s vehicle a few months prior to the incident, prompting the victim to file a complaint against him at a police station.

“The defendant became enraged about the matter and decided to take revenge,” the court papers stated.

 On the day of the murder, the defendant went to the victim’s farm and killed him with a blunt object then robbed him of a small amount of cash and other belongings, the court said, adding that the defendant was arrested the following day and investigators noticed drops of blood on his clothes.

“Investigators sent the defendant’s clothes to the criminal lab and the result was that the blood belonged to the victim,” the court transcripts said.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court followed the proper procedures and the defendant deserved the verdict he received.

The Court of Cassation judges were Mohammad Ibrahim, Naji Zubi, Yassin Abdullat, Bassim Mubeidin and Majid Azab.