Man gets over 4 years in jail for attempted murder

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a November 2018 Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to over four years in prison after convicting him of attempting to murder a man in Aqaba in March 2017. 

The Criminal Court declared the defendant guilty of attempting to murder a man following a “heated quarrel” on March 5 and handed him a seven-year prison term. 

However, the court decided to reduce the prison term to four years and eight months because the victim dropped charges against the defendant. 

Court papers said the defendant was heading to see his friend in downtown Aqaba when he saw the friend fighting with the victim. 

"The defendant joined the fight and drew a gun he had on him and fired several rounds towards the victim," court documents said. 

One bullet struck the victim in the back and he was rushed to hospital, court papers said. 

The victim survived the shooting incident after undergoing surgery to extract the bullet from his back, the court papers added. 

The Criminal Court’s attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the 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 Mohammad Ibrahim, Bassim Mubeidin, Majid Azab, Yassin Abdulllat and Hammad Ghzawi.